There was order in the court -- or at least order in Ms. Unger's class -- as third-grade students took part in a reader's theater mock trial, reenacting a court case about a broken bicycle. 

Students played all the parts in this courtroom drama -- sheriff and bailiff, judge, jurors, attorneys, witnesses, the plaintiff and defendant, as well as the jury. The plaintiff charged that the defendant had crashed and damaged his bicycle while riding it, when she was just supposed to paint lightning bolts on it.

The defendant claimed that she was only riding the bike to help the paint dry quickly, since the plaintiff wanted it back within 24 hours. And she maintained she would not have crashed had the plaintiff not stuck his hand out to stop her from riding. 

Students playing the jurors took careful notes as student attorneys questioned and cross-examined the plaintiff and defendant, as well as witnesses. At the conclusion of the testimony, the jury went into the hallway outside 3U to deliberate.

Proud parents and guardians looked on, some no doubt wondering which of the young actors might someday have a career in law enforcement. And they had reason to wonder. 

Ms. Unger's classes began the mock trial activity about a dozen years ago, thanks to a student's mom and aunt, who are both lawyers. They wrote the trial script and worked with students on the presentation.

Now, that original 3U student, the son and nephew of those attorneys, has completed his junior year in college and is applying to law schools himself. His mom and aunt came back to help this year's jurors with their deliberations and to hand out certificates to all of the participants.

And the verdict? The jury found the defendant guilty and responsible for crashing the bicycle. 

For "trial" photos, click through the slide show below: