150 7th Graders from Charles Town Middle School made a historic visit to the Jefferson County Courthouse on November 7th for their Fall Field Trip.
Judge David M. Hammer, Chief Judge of the Jefferson County Twenty-Eighth Judicial Circuit, has eagerly welcomed CTMS 7th graders to the Courthouse since 2023. This year’s group was excited to witness an actual court case, where students had the opportunity to see local law play out in real-life.
Student attendees enthusiastically asked Judge Hammer many thoughtful questions in a special Q&A session about the history of the Courthouse and his experiences of being a judge in Jefferson County.
The group was also thrilled to observe a Mock Trial where their own 7th Grade Social Studies Teacher and CTMS Athletic Director, Aaron Daly, was charged with the heinous crime of assigning too much homework. “The kids were a little too excited to see me stand trial,” laughed Daly. “It’s always fun to see them engaged in learning, and Judge Hammer does an amazing job of making it a memorable experience for us.”
Tina Renner, the Circuit Clerk of Jefferson County, worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this event a huge success. Renner coordinated with Eastern Regional Jail Superintendent Didymus Tate to obtain Mr. Daly’s orange jumpsuit for the Mock Trial.
Renner, who has served as Circuit Clerk since 2023, has a special connection to Jefferson County Schools as well: she proudly served as a JCS Bus Driver for 7 years on Bus 1865, a bus route for CTMS. At Renner’s request, students joined in on a singalong of “Country Roads” as they exited the Courthouse to honor its 2024 National Landmark recognition.
“We are still talking about it.” noted Renner after the CTMS visit. “We probably will be for some time!"