On Wednesday, February 12th, 2025, Federal Judge, Joshua Wolson held a court at his alma mater, Parkland High School. Parkland took this as an opportunity for students to experience and learn from a real-life and real-time trial. Students who take AP American Government and members of the Law Club were given the opportunity to observe the trial and learn from it.
The case itself was Miss Nicole Ciaccio versus Upper Saucon and Coopersburg police. The trial determined whether or not the Upper Saucon and Coopersburg violated Miss Ciaccio’s 2nd and 4th Amendment rights. The issue began when Ciaccio accidentally sent a text message stating, “I just shot myself. Call my dad.” Reasonably, her friend who received the text called the non-emergency police line for a wellness check. However, her refusal to open the door and speak to the officers raised suspicion. In an attempt to clarify the situation, the officers demanded that Ciaccio come out to speak to them and insisted that they would not leave until she did. The prosecution argues that this is when the initial seizure began because from that point forward she was not free to leave. The police then conducted a sweep throughout her house to find any weapons. This sweep was collectively considered reasonable as there was reason to believe that Ciaccio had been shot. Police proceeded to remove her legally owned firearm from her home, grab Ciaccio by the arm, and take her to the hospital to be assessed for any injuries and place her under hold regarding her mental health. Using this information, the majority of the session centered around deeming when the search and seizure by police began when it ended, and what may have caused it to be considered unlawful. However, as of February 12th, the dispute has not been settled.
Despite students missing class, there was a lot to be learned from the experience. Students were able to witness real-time court sessions and gather a more hands-on understanding of the United States legal system, benefiting government students and law club members alike. They took note of debate techniques, analyzed differing points, and overall, were able to be witnesses to a real legal dispute.
Following the end of the hearing, Judge Joshua heard questions from many of the attending students. He shares his process in devising questions, stating that before each case, he spends hours reviewing footage, and previous statements, and beginning to form questions for the lawyers defending the case. Throughout the legal process, he uses these questions to gain a clearer view of the events that occurred and make a more just ruling. He also provided information about his education and his transition from Parkland High School to law school, reminiscing on his high school days and breathing in the nostalgia of returning to his alma mater.
Overall, the experience was invigorating for students, getting to view life debate in a court setting, and nostalgic for Judge Joshua Wolson. Currently, there is no new information regarding the decision of the case, as Judge Wolson stated it would need to be reviewed in more courts. However, no matter the outcome, yet another beneficial learning experience was hosted by Parkland High School.
