the mock trial was the culmination of a year’s worth of work. The course goes through all steps of the criminal justice system, from crime scene to courtroom, said teacher Amanda Pagnotta.

Jonesboro High School’s mock trial courtroom was named for him. Laxson joined Clayton County police in 2017. While responding to a domestic violence call in 2021, he was shot and killed.

Using a fictitious DUI case as the foundation, the students mapped out the layout of a courtroom and carefully ... in their class ahead of this mock trial. “So one thing we take pride in ...