By Tyler Conkright / Staff Writer

The students in Missouri Valley’s criminal justice program were presented the opportunity to take a field trip to the Saline County Courthouse on Monday, March 25. 

The students were able to see what a day in the courtroom looks like and experience the interaction between a judge and defendants. 

Opportunities like these can be very beneficial to students wanting to see what they are learning in the classroom firsthand.

“We’ve learned courtroom and court system vocabulary but hearing it used first hand, I understood the terms more,” Chloe Woods said. 

School-related field trips are provided to show students real-life examples of what is learned in the classroom. 

“We don’t learn to be defense attorneys, prosecutors, police officers, court marshals, or judges in a classroom,” Professor Stephen Murrel said. “We learn these professions by doing the job, making mistakes, and gaining proficiency.”