T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA Shadyside student and mock assistant defense attorney Damian Russell, from left, Gold Khourey and Turak attorney Jeremy McGraw, student and mock defendant Kaci Tsoras, Belmont County Common Pleas Judge John Vavra, student and mock assistant prosecutor Ryan Weeks, and Belmont County prosecutor Kevin Flanagan prepare for the mock trial of Tsoras' DUI crash.

SHADYSIDE — From a staged crash scene to a courtroom trial, Shadyside High School students experienced the real-world consequences of drunk driving in a two-day mock exercise ahead of prom.

Student council held a mock trial Thursday morning following a mock DUI crash held a day earlier. The events were held in collaboration with Gold, Khourey and Turak and the Belmont County Prosecutor’s Office.

Attorney Jeremy McGraw said GK&T visits high schools across the Ohio Valley to highlight the seriousness of drunk driving.

“We’ve taken it very seriously over the years because we’ve seen the effects of drunk driving accidents on families. So we’ve been involved in many programs over the years, trying to teach our youth and the high school students about the dangers and the realities of drunk driving, how it affects families and how it can affect their future, so that they can make better decisions moving forward. So it’s a pleasure to be here today for that purpose,” McGraw said. “We try as best that we can to simulate a jury trial experience. Yesterday, the kids participated in a mock accident scene. We had actual police officers who were available and came ran the student actors through field sobriety tests, trying to simulate the process so the students can see what actually happens and then kind of see the court process, learn a little bit how the system works and what might happen to them if they’re involved in one of these situations.”

Wednesday’s mock DUI crash featured student Kaci Tsoras acting as if she crashed into and killed a driver on the way home from an after-prom party.

Ohio State Highway Patrol and Shadyside police officers simulated what would happen if the crash actually occurred, including administering a sobriety test and arresting her.

On Thursday, Tsoras was put on trial in front of Belmont County Common Pleas Judge John Vavra. Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan and student Ryan Weeks, acting as Flanagan’s assistant prosecutor, were tasked with convincing a jury of Tsoras’ peers — her classmates — that she was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

McGraw played the role of Tsoras’ defense attorney, with student Damian Russell serving as co-defense attorney.

Flanagan said the event aims to educate students about the dangers of drinking and driving through both a mock trial and crash, part of a broader effort to highlight the real-life consequences of impaired driving.

“The mock crash that occurred yesterday is very important, because many times we can talk with our kids regarding the perils of drinking and driving. We can talk to them about the consequences, but until they actually see and realize what the consequences are, they’ll never fully understand,” Flanagan said. “The great part about this is, but for a few of the positions, Judge, prosecutor and defense attorney. We are fully staffed by the high school students themselves, including co-counsel for the prosecutor and co-counsel for defense.”

Vavra, who will retire at the end of December, said Thursday’s event will likely be his final mock trial.

He said that during his years on the bench he has participated in mock trials in schools and that they are highly educational for students learning how the court system works.

“It serves several roles. Number one, it’s an important lesson in what I’d call civics, as far as how government and in particular the courts operate and how they interact with the public during events, or to monitor and manage events such as has been mocked for today,” Vavra said. “It teaches several lessons, it shows how the court system works, interacts with all the government agencies, law enforcement, as I say, the attorneys and just teaches a lesson that they wouldn’t normally get. People see on television although that’s not always how it really works, but this gives them a complete picture of exactly how the system operates.”

He added that the mock crash also created an opportunity for emergency responders to gain experience handling a simulated incident.