Altoona criminal justice students participate in mock sentencing exercise

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - Five Penn State Altoona criminal justice students participated in the third annual Federal Mock Sentencing Exercise at the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania in Johnstown on Thursday, Oct. 24. The annual exercise was created by Federal District Judge Mark A. Kearney in 2022 and is supported by the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Law Related Education Committee.

Students were provided with a hypothetical federal criminal case at the sentencing stage and tasked with preparing and presenting sentencing arguments before U.S. District Judge Stephanie L. Haines as if they were the prosecuting and defense attorneys. Haines then sentenced the offender using the students' input. After the exercise, she spent time with the students, educating them on the federal court system and offering professional advice.

"This is an event that we really look forward to every year," said Nathan E. Kruis, associate professor of criminal justice. "It is a tremendous learning and networking experience, as well as a good resume builder to help our criminal justice students be competitive in law and graduate school applications." Two students who took part in last year's mock sentencing exercise both received scholarships to law schools they are currently attending.

Lydia Newman and Nathaly Garcia Mejia represented the defendant in the exercise. "The mock sentencing was a great opportunity for me, as someone who is looking to attend law school," said Newman. "We got to meet a federal judge and gain a deeper understanding of what a career in law could look like for us."

"The experience was wonderful," said Garcia Mejia. "Being in such an intimate setting with a judge allowed us to ask questions and have genuine conversations."

Ray Ncube played the U.S. attorney in the exercise. "My classmates and I spent a lot of time acting in the ways real lawyers do to prepare for this. We met after hours to discuss the case, our arguments, different sentencing options, and the ways our arguments could be attacked. Doing those things and connecting with my classmates on a more personal level is what I will take away from this experience."

Dawson Coventry also helped prepare arguments for the U.S. Attorney and role-played the defendant in court. He said, "The experience helped me get a realistic view on the courts and processes within the United States. Learning about the sentencing process in a courtroom compared to a classroom was an opportunity I will always appreciate."

Caitlyn Shade played the role of federal probation officer. She appreciated that the exercise helped get her out of her comfort zone. "After the exercise, I realized this is something I may want to pursue. Without this experience, I wouldn't have known about or found interest in the federal probation officer position."