News Photo by Temi Fadayomi Members of the Michigan Supreme Court are pictured with students from Onaway High School on Wednesday.

CHEBOYGAN — Northern Michigan students got to see the state’s top court in action on Wednesday.

Students from Onaway High School, Presque Isle Academy, Rogers City High School, and 13 other Northern Michigan schools participated in the 27th Court Community Connection Program in Cheboygan.

The Court Community Connection Program is a public education program started in 2007 that sees the Michigan Supreme Court travel from the Hall of Justice in Lansing to various communities in Michigan to hear oral arguments in front of local high school students.

The goal is to teach them about appellate courts and the Michigan judicial system.

“The Court Community Connections program is here to bring the court and how the courts operate and the importance of the judiciary to the community,” Chief Justice Elizabeth T. Clement said. “What we want them to take away is an understanding of how a court case works its way through the system in Michigan, and an interest in public service.”

This year’s event was held in the Cheboygan and saw students from 16 schools in six different counties meet in the Cheboygan Opera House to listen to lawyers present their oral arguments in front of the Michigan Supreme Court in the case People of MI v. Candace Guyton.

A court summary of the case states that the defendant, Candance Guyton pled guilty to armed robbery as part of a plea agreement and had a separate case as well as a third habitual offender enhancement dismissed.

Under state law, a habitual offender, sometimes known as a repeat offender, is someone convicted of a crime who has previously been convicted of other crimes.

Guyton later moved to withdraw her guilty plea, saying she qualified only as a second habitual offender and because she was never subject to sentencing as a third habitual offender. Her appeal was denied and was affirmed by the state Court of Appeals.

The Michigan Supreme Court ordered the oral arguments students heard on Wednesday to address whether Guyton’s plea of not understanding was voluntary and accurate because she was misinformed that she would not be prosecuted as a third habitual offender.

Leading up to the program, students were given a handbook that summarized the legal process, and also went over the definitions of some key legal terms.

“I was surprised at how easy it was to follow,” Onaway senior Aubrey Benson said Wednesday. “I thought it was a very amazing experience.”

Upon entering the opera house, students passed through metal detectors simulating entering a real courtroom before being led to their designated seats by ushers.

Once everyone was seated, the event started with a posting of the colors, performed by the Cheboygan County Veteran Service, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Following that, 53rd Circuit Court Chief Judge Aaron Gauthier gave introductory remarks, the Michigan Supreme Court Justices took their seats, and oral arguments were held.

Once oral arguments were completed, the Supreme Court Justices left and Chief Commissioner of the Michigan Supreme Court, Daniel C. Brubaker along with the appellant and appellee attorneys held a question-and-answer session where they responded to student questions about oral arguments.

Afterwards, students were invited on stage to take pictures with the justices and ask them additional questions.

“The students had never done anything like this,” Rogers City High School Social Studies teacher Matt Barsen said. “We learned a lot.”

The next Court Community Connections event is scheduled for October, but a venue has not been chosen yet.