Tom Trouble was on trial last Thursday in Edgartown district court, and it was up to a group of seventh graders from the Edgartown School to try the case. Tom’s day in court was the focus of a student mock trial, the culmination of an eight-week enrichment program that gave students exposure to the legal system.

It was a long day in Edgartown district court, and amid the serious business taking place in his courtroom, the Hon. H. Gregory Williams couldn’t help but inject an occasional quip to leaven the proceedings, if only by a little bit.

After all, he faced a 15-page list of criminal cases last Friday, which included motions, pleas, arraignments and other pretrial hearings. That didn’t include small claims cases and a trial that spilled over into this week.