Eighth-grader spends a day on the bench with Judge Lewis

~ As part of a class career day, Meghan Dohogne sat next to Circuit Judge Benjamin Lewis.

Standing in front of a judge in court can rarely be a pleasant experience, but sitting next to one certainly can be.

St. Mary Cathedral School eighth-grader Meghan Dohogne, 13, sat beside Circuit Judge Benjamin Lewis during his Tuesday call, which saw cases of accused drug dealers, sex offenders and thieves.

But despite the sometimes gritty details about cases announced and read into the record, Meghan said after the call ended she was still excited about the possibility of someday working in the courts.

"It was cool," Meghan said with an enthusiastic smile.

As part of her class' career day, Meghan spent the morning with Lewis to learn more about the court system, hoping the experience would help her decide if it was something she may want to do.

While Meghan's favorite class in school, Social Studies, teaches her a few things, it does not delve into the law as much as sitting in court does.

"I want to look and see what it's all about. I think it's pretty interesting," she said of her experience.

Between cases throughout the call, Lewis and Meghan discussed particular motions or nuances about the court system. She occasionally passed a file to him from his clerk.

Though she sat on the bench with the judge, Meghan said she wanted to be a prosecutor.

"I've been told I can argue pretty well," she said.

Being able to put a case together, learn the facts, and determine the best course of action for various cases are some of the aspects about law that interests her, Meghan said.

"I think it's cool...the law and how it all plays out," she said.

One prosecution aspect she was keen on was sentence recommendations, particularly for those defendants who needed help getting their life back on track.

"I think he has to make some tough decisions on what is right and what needs to be done," she said of Lewis, who agreed.

"These are decisions that have serious effects on a lot of people's lives," the judge said.

At the end of the day, Meghan said she was happy for the opportunity to sit next to the judge, especially considering the alternative of being called to stand before him.

"It's a lot more fun on our side of the bench," Lewis said with a laugh.

kmorrison@semissourian.com

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