Maj. Ryan Dawson of the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office gives civics students from Lenoir County Early College High School some insight into the local legal system during the students’ tour of the Lenoir County Courthouse on Monday.

Students from Lenoir County Early College High School researched the workings of the legal system in Lenoir County during a recent tour of the Lenoir County Courthouse.

Sophomores from Dr. Travis Towne’s Civic Literacy class took the field trip Monday and heard from Maj. Ryan Dawson of the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office, visited both the Criminal Superior and Civil Superior courtrooms and toured the old jail above the courtroom.

Dawson spoke to students about a variety of topics related to county government and how the sheriff’s office fits in with other branches of government. They learned, for instance, that in North Carolina a sheriff’s office is not a sheriff’s department because the sheriff is an elected official and the office was established by the North Carolina Constitution in 1776.

In speaking about the need for more deputies and correctional officers, Dawson called attention to the balance the sheriff and county commissioners must find between paying salaries high enough to help with recruitment and the amount of local taxes residents are willing to pay.

“This was probably the most eye-opening discussion that students had because they were able to make real-world connections of how government resources are funded,” Towne said. “Just saying you want more money for something such as raises isn’t always easy to enact.”

Visiting the old jail and getting a hint of what it might have been like to be confined up to 23 hours a day waiting for a trial date “impressed upon the students the importance of knowing the consequences for actions and a very real visual of what can happen when laws are broken,” their teacher said.

“The Early College High School students, teachers and staff would like to publicly thank Major Ryan Dawson and the sheriff’s office for helping organize this amazing opportunity for students to visit the Lenoir County Courthouse,” Towne said.