Last week my class of seniors in Contemporary World Problems held a mock trial. The case involved a woman who had killed her husband and was claiming "battered woman syndrome" as a defense.

In any class you have a variety of kids with different approaches and attitudes. One of my students prepared for the trial very intensely and competitively. She borrowed a business suit so that she could look the part of a lawyer. She practiced her questions, fine-tuned her case, and was fully ready for the trial. We tried the case and the decision was in the hands of a six student jury.

The jury went out into the "commons" area and sat around a table to discuss the case. They were debating their verdict for more than 30 minutes. I noticed that time was getting short and walked out to tell them to wrap it up and bring in their verdict.

The young "lawyer" mentioned above was watching the jury through the glass in the door. Right before the jury came in, she saw two boys engaging in a game of "paper, rock, scissors". She was totally outraged.."I prepared this case and they are deciding it by PAPER, ROCK, SCISSORS"?!!! Grrr! I could understand her frustration, but her tone and expressions were so funny!! Just total outrage.

It makes you wonder if any real juries have ever decided cases using "unconventional" methods.
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