Blair court gives lesson on jury duty
- Hollidaysburg Area High School freshmen and a few Blair County Courthouse employees (left) are questioned as potential jurors by District Attorney Pete Weeks (right) as part of Law Day at the Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon. / Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
- Blair County Jury Coordinator Sally Padula (center) answers a question during mock jury selection as she sits with Hollidaysburg Area High School freshmen Lincoln Wertz (left) and Sophia Barger during Law Day at the courthouse on Wednesday afternoon. / Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Hollidaysburg Area High School freshmen and a few Blair County Courthouse employees (left) are questioned as potential jurors by District Attorney Pete Weeks (right) as part of Law Day at the Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon. / Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
HOLLIDAYSBURG — At the Blair County Courthouse on Wednesday, some ninth graders from the Hollidaysburg Area School District got to sit in a courtroom jury box while their classmates filled the gallery.
From both locations, the students were in the same seats used by county residents on a jury selection day — but the students had no chance of being selected for jury service.
Instead, President Judge Wade A. Kagarise handed down lessons in jury trial proceedings, with the help of courtroom personnel who demonstrated their roles in the process.
“The defendant in this case is entitled to the presumption of innocence,” District Attorney Pete Weeks told the students as he described his burden of presenting a jury with enough testimony and evidence to render convictions.
Defense attorney Dan Kiss followed up on Weeks’ presentation by reminding the students that his client — portrayed by adult parole officer Alec Bowers — would have no obligation for what was described as an upcoming trial on burglary and theft charges.

Blair County Jury Coordinator Sally Padula (center) answers a question during mock jury selection as she sits with Hollidaysburg Area High School freshmen Lincoln Wertz (left) and Sophia Barger during Law Day at the courthouse on Wednesday afternoon. / Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski
“We could decide to take a two-day nap,” Kiss told the students in reference to the anticipated length of the trial. “It’s the Commonwealth who has to prove him guilty.”
Kagarise also tried to help the students understand who qualifies to serve on a jury and why. Among the requirements, the judge mentioned that jurors must be
18 years old, they must be U.S. citizens and to be on a Blair County jury, they must reside in Blair County.
Kagarise also spoke of the importance for jurors to be fair and impartial and the questions to determine that. In response to a question about prior knowledge, local attorney Diana Ingersoll — seated with students in the jury box — told Kagarise she recalled news coverage of Bowers’ alleged crime. But she also said that what she recalled wouldn’t influence her as a juror.
“It was almost a year ago,” Ingersoll explained.
While Kagarise allowed Ingersoll to remain in the jury box, he dismissed jury coordinator Sally Padula, who was also in the jury box to act as a potential juror. Padula told Kagarise that someone broke into her house in the past.
“And this is the same kind of crime,” Kagarise said.
Judicial secretary Bonnie Francis also had to leave the jury box after telling Kagarise that she knew one of the prosecution witnesses that Weeks spoke of calling.
“I’ll be biased,” Francis said.
Student Skylar Eaken said he enjoyed the interactions involving the judge, the attorneys and the court employees.
“When the people got eliminated from being jurors, that was the most interesting part,” the student said.
The Blair County Bar Association arranged transportation for two groups of students — about 100 in the morning and an additional 110 in the afternoon — in recognition of Wednesday as Law Day and in recognition of Jury Appreciation Week, which concludes Saturday. Both designations were included in a recent proclamation signed by all county commissioners and common pleas court judges.
Civics teacher Travis Singer said he appreciated the efforts made.
“The courtroom personnel did a great job with the play-acting,” the teacher said outside the Courthouse where students boarded a bus to return to school. “My hope is that they got a better understanding of what’s involved in doing their civic duty.”
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.