Robert Foshee and his civics class quickly filed out of the bus and into a room crowded with police officers. The civics class made it to the Fresno County Courthouse just in time for Judge Adolfo M. Corona?s presentation on Sept. 26 .

Upon arrival, the class filed past the metal detector and up several flights of stairs to Judge Corona?s civil courtroom. He talked about his background before he became a judge and how he worked to reach his present position. He also told the class about the tough decisions he has made over the years.

?My father always told me to do the right thing, even when nobody is looking,? Judge Corona said. ?Every person needs a good judge; someone who will make the right decision when there is a life is at stake.?

The students later met the courtroom staff and asked questions about their responsibilities. Among the students, huddled around court reporter, Shelly Applegate, was Whitney Chessum, ’08, who is considering the job for her future profession.

?I want to maybe be a court reporter someday because it is something that I would be good at,? Chessum said. ?I thought it was amazing how [Applegate] could write so fast using the stenograph.?

After touring the judge?s chamber behind the courtroom, the students split into two groups to sit in on live trials.

?Watching the trial was a great experience,? Mitchell Callisch, ’09, said. ?It was cool to see how the system in our government works. The trip clarified my previous understanding of the court process.?

In one trial a man was accused of shooting some people after taking cocaine. The defence attorney argued that he should be released into the community, while the prosecuter wanted him in jail.

“The trip helped the students see courtrooms in person rather than just in books,” Foshee said. “It was good for the students to view the trials and see a lot of the intracacies of the law.”

The next field trip for the civics class will be a visit to City Hall at the beginning of November.