Eighth graders at Leading Edge Academy Maricopa are trading textbooks for the courtroom as they prepare to put their civics lessons on trial.

Students will take on the roles of attorneys, witnesses, jurors and other courtroom participants during a mock trial Wednesday at the school. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the trial begins at 5:30 p.m. It is open to the public.

The fictional case centers on missing money from a school fundraiser, giving students a chance to practice public speaking, teamwork and critical thinking while learning how the justice system works.

Their preparation included a field trip to the Superior Court in Florence, where a judge welcomed the students, led a courthouse tour and answered questions. She also gave them an opportunity to practice for the mock trial and offered feedback.

Students observed several juvenile dispositions and part of a murder trial, seeing courtroom procedures and the roles of judges, attorneys and jurors firsthand.

“Seeing the justice system in action brought our classroom lessons to life in a way that a textbook or classroom discussion alone could never fully capture,” said civics teacher Jake-Ryan Latham.