Essay Winners Honored On Law Day
By Christopher Krueger - Photos by Mary Reich Photography

The first place winner of the Story of America essay contest felt strongly moved by hearing the story of Ed Johnson, a black man whose lynching by a white mob in 1906 led to the only trial for criminal contempt ever held by the United States Supreme Court.

The winners of the Story of America essay contest eagerly waited
to find out who would be named the grand prize winner.

"I wrote the essay because the story moved me," recent McClatchy High School graduate Amy Elizabeth Curran said in an interview.

Curran's mother, Betsy Anderson, recalled that her daughter was strongly effected by hearing Johnson's story at a March lecture at Luther Burbank High School by Mark Curriden, co-author of Contempt of Court: The Turn of the Century Lynching that Launched 100 Years of Federalism. Curriden's book discusses how Johnson, who was convicted by an all-white jury of raping a white woman in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1906, attempted to obtain federal court review of his Tennessee court proceedings, only to be lynched while his habeas corpus petition was pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Teacher Justin Mason of Rio Americano High School, center,
attended the Law Day Dinner with two of his students who had
won the essay contest, Cindy Fan and Darren Chan.

"She was very impacted when she heard the story," Anderson said of her daughter. "She came home (from the lecture), and she discussed the story with me, and we went through it."

Anderson said she believes that her daughter, who will begin Mills College in the fall, has been led to consider a career in law by hearing Johnson's story. Curran, who was the president of McClatchy's Ecology Club, said that, if she chooses a legal career, she could see herself fighting for environmental causes or on behalf of labor unions.

"It was a really powerful and depressing story," Curran said of Johnson's story. "It sort of enrages and moves me at the same time."

Janis Besler Heaphy, publisher and president of the Sacramento Bee,
presents an award to Ranita Harris of Luther Burbank High School.

In her essay, which is printed in this issue, Curran uses the story of Johnson, who was convicted by an all-white jury of raping a white woman in Chattonooga, Tennessee in 1906, as an opportunity to address some contemporary concerns regarding our legal system including the disproportionate percentage of people of color who get the death penalty, concerns about whether juries represent a fair racial cross-section of the community, and racial profiling.

Curran's essay was chosen from nearly 300 entries submitted by seniors at Sacramento-area high schools. The contest was one of three parts of Operation Protect and Defend, a project of the local bench and bar intended to educate students about the basic legal principles that underlie our legal system. Curran and the 10 other student winners of the contest were honored at the Sacramento County Bar Association's 2003 Law Day Dinner. Winners of the contest, which was sponsored by the Sacramento Bee, received scholarships between $100 and $2,500.

Judge Russell Hom announced the winners.

Most of the participants in the essay contest had attended Curriden's lecture and participated in classroom discussion related to the themes of the book. Participants were directed to offer their own definitions of justice, to discuss any recent issue or event that showed the ensuring equal justice for all remains a challenge, and to address any lessons that could be drawn from Contempt of Court.

The 11 winners of the essay contest were invited to the Law Day Dinner. McGeorge Law School Dean Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker gave a keynote address. Parker's address was followed by presentations about the Operation Protect and Defend program by Joseph S. Genshlea, Superior Court Judge Judy Holzer Hersher, and Robin R. Taylor.

The dinner culminated in the presentation of the scholarships. Although the students were informed before the dinner that they had received scholarships, they did not know who had won the grand prize. One by one, the winners were introduced and asked to stand on the dais. Superior Court Judges Russell Hom and David Abbott then announced the scholarships in ascending order of size, beginning with the $100 scholarships and ending with Curran's grand prize. Sacramento Bee Publisher and President Janis Besler Heaphy presented the scholarships to the students.
"To tell you the truth, [standing on the dais] was like being on 'American Idol,'" Curran said, referring to the hit television show/talent contest.

The other winners were:

• Lam Phan of Luther Burbank High School. Phan, whose hobbies include surfing the internet, playing his guitar, and listening to music, received a $1,500 scholarship.
• Erin Tsukamoto of Kennedy High School. Tsukamoto, a member of the National Honors Society who will begin college at the University of Southern California this fall, received a $1,000 scholarship.
• Darren Chan of Kennedy High School. Chan, a three-year participant in Kennedy's mock trial program who is interested in government and history, enrolls at UCLA this fall. He received a $500 scholarship.
• Sarah Cristy of Rio Americano High School. Cristy, who plays clarinet in the high school band and has an interest in history and government, will begin classes at Brown University this fall. She received a $500 scholarship.
• Cindy Fan of Rio Americano High School. Fan, who begin studies at UC Berkeley this fall, is the editor-in-chief of Rio American's school newspaper and a member of the Asian Cultural Club. She received a $100 scholarship.
• Ranita Harris of Luther Burbank High School. Harris likes to read poetry and act in theatrical productions and plans to attend Sacramento City College. She received a $100 scholarship.
• Hong (Ami) Nguyen of Luther Burbank High School. Nguyen, Luther Burbank's Student Body President who plays tennis and soccer, begins college at Stanford University in the fall. She received a $500 scholarship.
• Jiongwei (Anna) Liu of Kennedy High School. Liu, who will enroll at UCLA this fall, likes to swim and read. Her favorite book is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Liu received a $100 scholarship.
• John Skaggs of Sacramento High School. Skaggs, who is interested in the military and plays trumpet in the high school band, received a $100 scholarship.
• Anthony Solorio of McClatchy High School. Solorio, a first baseman who hopes to play professional baseball, will attend American River College this fall. He received a $100 scholarship.