Gruff Justice Jurors Don’t Buy It When Plaintiff Trolls For Sympathy
Oh sure, they seemed like heroes. But that was just a fairy tale.
On Friday, the three Billy Goats Gruff got what was coming to them - a trial for trespassing and battering the troll who lived under the bridge.
Of course, the troll looked suspiciously like a little freckle-faced girl with a purple hat. And the goats, well, they looked like kids, too. Third graders to be precise.
Eighty third-graders gathered at the Kootenai County Courthouse to learn a little bit about the judicial system Friday. It is the third year Ramsey Elementary School teacher Paula Marano has staged the pretend trial with her husband, Judge Eugene Marano.
The duo say the mock trial is a fun way to learn about court, while teaching children to consider other viewpoints.
“There’s two sides to every story and you’ve got to listen and decide which is true and which is not true,” Judge Marano told the children.
In the mock trial, the children dressed up as the troll and goats. The youngsters also acted as jurors, lawyers and bailiffs. Prosecutor Georgia Burke’s head barely showed over the back of her chair.
Remember the Billy Goats Gruff? They’re the three goats of fable who each crossed over the troll’s bridge to get to the greener grass on the other side. The wee little goat went first, and, upon running into the hungry troll, told him to wait for the next bigger goat to eat. The middle goat pulled the same stunt.
But when the biggest goat crossed the bridge, he rammed the troll and knocked him off the bridge.
Well, in Friday’s scenario the troll pressed charges.
“I ended up in the hospital with compound fractures of both legs, three broken ribs, a concussion and multiple cuts,” testified the troll - also known as Suzanne Barnes.
She insisted it was “just an evil rumor” that she ate goats and others who crossed the bridge. And, after all, she had posted ‘No Trespassing’ signs.
In the end, the troll still ended up the bad guy. The jury voted 11 to 2 to acquit the billy goats.
Nine-year-old Kris Mans thought the jury made the right decision.
“The goats had a right to go on that bridge,” he said. “Even though they should have asked first.”
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo