Fort Huachuca, Arizona - Fort Huachuca's Staff Judge Advocate Office, JAG, office celebrated Law Day, reaching out to fifth-graders at General Myer Elementary School about the importance of the subject of law.
Each year the JAG office celebrates Law Day, a day that was proclaimed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on May 1, 1958. This year, the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta and its importance was presented on April 30, by JAG attorneys and paralegals, to remind students of a less democratic past.
The Magna Carta, also known as "The Great Charter," is an important document as it's the first of its kind to establish the principle that every citizen, including royalty, was to be held accountable and subject to law, explained Capt. Jarom Ricks, a JAG attorney, who presented at the school.
"800 years ago, some barons, also known as nobles, were upset with King John," Ricks explained to Christen McCracken's fifth-grade class. So they started a rebellion against the king [because] he was doing a bad job -- he was taking away their freedoms."
Following the informational presentation, Ricks, alongside Pfc. Caleb Eary, a paralegal, held a demonstration and a mock trial, encouraging students to pick roles such as kings, judges, witnesses and members of the jury.
"We wanted the students to understand what it would be like to not have total freedoms and what it would look like if it was taken away," Ricks said.
According to McCracken, a fifth-grade teacher at General Myer, "[Having members of the JAG office present was] a great way for students to bridge together history and the law."
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