GARDEN GROVE : ‘Goldilocks’ Appeals to a Jury

Once upon a time, a little girl named Goldilocks came upon a house in the woods.

She was tired and hungry from her long walk--so she broke into the home, stole some porridge, trashed the place and passed out on a bed. At least, that’s the Three Bears’ side of the story, as they told it in “court” on Wednesday.

During a mock trial at Agnes Ware Stanley Elementary School, about 300 kindergarten through sixth-grade students saw how the American justice system works as student attorneys argued their clients’ cases, witnesses testified and jurors rendered their judgment.

In this case, the plaintiffs--the bears--alleged that Goldilocks showed bad manners by entering the home, eating their porridge and breaking a chair. And even though her own attorney thought she was guilty, Gold E. Locks, alias “Goldilocks,” eventually beat the rap.

“Your honor, these charges of bad manners against Gold E. Locks are ridiculous. We will show that the bears invited Gold E. Locks into their homes by leaving the door open,” said Kristin Kauten, 12, who portrayed the defendant’s attorney. She further argued that Goldilocks had been invited to the home previously by Babe E. Bear--child of Pop A. Bear and Mom A. Bear--and thus believed she was a guest.

After both attorneys cross-examined the girl and the bears--submitting the porridge bowls and broken chair as exhibits--the judge asked for closing arguments.

Jenna McInerny, 11, attorney for the Three Bears, concluded that Goldilocks had not been invited when she ate the food and broke the chair, “And I certainly think that meets the test of bad manners. I’m sure the jury agrees that one who displays good manners does not do such things.”

Santa Ana attorney Chris Carman, who coordinated the mock trial, said that it placed the justice system in a context students could understand. He said he helped the actors, who were fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders, with how to play their roles and cross-examine witnesses, but added that they improvised much of their own testimony and questions.

Lauren Weber, 11, who played Gold E. Locks, agreed. Before getting her role in the trial, “I didn’t know how a court works.” She said the trial was realistic and that she could imagine the stress of being on trial in a real case.

“If I answer wrong, I’ll be put away,” she said.

At the end of the trial, a 12-member student jury left the auditorium to deliberate and returned soon after to render a not-guilty verdict. Jury foreman Kevin Shallbetter said later that the jury felt there was not enough evidence to convict Goldilocks.

The students may have learned more about the American justice system than they realized--the verdict prompted many students to second-guess the jury. During a question-and-answer session with Carman, one student asked why she wasn’t guilty.

Carman explained that the jury must have believed that she had been invited over and that breaking the chair was an accident. He pointed out that, “You might get another jury that says she’s guilty.”

Kauten, who plans to be an attorney herself someday, had her doubts about her client’s case as well. “I was her attorney and I still thought she was guilty,” she said. “But I still pushed for her to win.”

McInerny, the opposing attorney, said she enjoyed learning about the legal system but added, “It’s rotten losing your first case.”