Hiwassee Dam – A public safety class at Hiwassee Dam High School taught by Mike Taylor, chief of the Ranger Fire Department, gave students a look into the criminal justice system.
On Nov. 14, a classroom served as a courtroom fit with a student audience, mock jurors, bailiff Heather Floyd, judge Luke Harbin, prosecutor Abby Harris, defense attorney Hailee Barney, defendant Harley Trantham, forensics official Trenton Pittman and court reporter Gabriel Floyd.
The scenario depicted a married couple, a Mr. and Mrs. Cruz, in which the wife was having an affair with another man, a Mr. Ross, who was also her boss, as played by Xavier Johnson. It began with a call to 911 from a Ms. Karen, played by Riley Cabe, who said a woman had been shot and two men were on the scene.
Fighting could be heard in the background, along with what sounded like things breaking. One man left the scene, while the other man performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the woman.
The men were interviewed by police; both were injured in the fight and had blood on them. Each accused the other of having shot the young woman, who ended up dying of her injuries. It would be a case of second-degree murder, in which the students would need to determine guilt or innocence based on the evidence that was presented.
The evidence included a 9mm handgun, blood samples on the corner of a table, bloody clothing and one spent shell casing. The defense attorney and prosecutor presented their case over about an hour.
All of the students involved, including those in the audience, appeared to take Taylor’s class seriously, showing great interest in what was unfolding in front of them.
The jurors included Dana Anderson, career development coordinator for career and technical education with Cherokee County Schools; Bill Belian of Ranger, a photographer; outgoing Cherokee County commissioner Jan Griggs; Jake Chapman, a school resource officer; and Anngee Quinones-Belian, a staff correspondent with the Cherokee Scout.
Their decision read: “In today’s case, the State vs. Mr. Cruz, we the jury find the defendant not guilty on all charges.”
Taylor challenged the students with real-life scenarios, putting them into situations that help with real-world decisions. He has been an instructor at the school for three years, offering hands-on learning, which students seemed to enjoy. Taylor also teaches a public safety class at Murphy High School.