Denver Juvenile Court Contact: Robin A. Knudtson, Clerk of Court Denver Juvenile Court 1437 Bannock Room 157 Denver, CO 80202 E-mail: robin.knudtson@judicial.state.co.us Educate the Children That We Protect, Law Day Event 2001 Activity Summary: Denver Juvenile Court hosted a mock trial, presentation and drawing contest for eighth-grade students from Denver Public Schools and one private school on Law Day, May 1, 2001. The mock trial demonstrated how children were treated when the juvenile court first began and how it has changed today. The students were asked to draw pictures to illustrate the role of the law in protecting children. The event ended with a reception and awards presentation. The prizewinner received prizes donated by the magistrates and staff of the Denver Juvenile Court. Activity Narrative: Denver Juvenile Court participated in Law Day this year by inviting eighth grade middle school students to participate in an interactive mock trial, drawing contest and presentation by the presiding judge. We had a committee of magistrates, clerk of court and staff develop a plan for the event to bring awareness to students regarding Denver Juvenile Court, particularly since the theme this year was In the Best Interest of Children. We sent letters to the principals of all the middle schools in Denver inviting eighth graders to participate in the Law Day event. Six schools were interested, totaling 200 students. Four schools actually attended, totaling 175 students. The magistrates of Denver Juvenile Court conducted the mock trial. In the oldest courtroom, Division One, the magistrates set up a PowerPoint presentation with a detailed history of the Denver Juvenile Court and then proceeded to hold a mock trial involving one of the students in the audience. Magistrate Kathleen Janski created the mock trial, directed it and played the mother of the accused juvenile. Magistrate Palmer Boyette played the role of Judge Ben Lindsey, the first judge in Denver Juvenile court. Magistrate Bernard Messer played the role of probation office. Magistrate David Furman played a merchant, the key witness, and Renee Romero played the neighbor. One student was chosen as the “vicious truant”. The other students observed the trial, and a discussion was held at the end. The mock trial accused a juvenile of stealing candy from a drugstore. The mock trial demonstrated that children had no attorney and were prosecuted by a probation officer that was paid based on the number of cases prosecuted. Any private citizen could file charges rather than the district attorney. The students loved the twist in the case, when the merchant who charged the child with stealing the candy was ordered to return to court and face his own charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The presentation and mock trial was well received by the students. Judge Karen M. Ashby gave a presentation on how the court operates today. She explained children today are appointed a Guardian at litem in dependency and neglect cases and sometimes in paternity and support and delinquency cases. She also explained the function of the juvenile court today. After the presentation, she gave the students an opportunity to ask questions and discuss the court system as a whole. We wanted to make sure that the students learned from these presentations, so we asked them draw pictures of what protecting the best interest of children meant to them. We set up tables in an empty courtroom with paper and markers for the students to complete their drawings. We also gave prizes for the three best drawings. The pictures were phenomenal. One student that had been in truancy court drew a picture of herself in a cap and gown, graduating from high school. This was very touching to the magistrate that had heard her case. We wrapped up the event with a reception and awards ceremony for the students. The magistrates and administrators in Denver Juvenile Court donated movie tickets and baseball tickets. Furthermore, each student left with Law Day pencils and stickers. Some students received United States Constitutions and t-shirts donated by the Denver Bar Association. In addition, Denver County Court donated the Law Day items such as pencils and stickers. The Court also purchased cookies and drinks for the students. The magistrates were awarded Law Day pins for their participation. The three Denver Courts worked cooperatively to make this event a success. We did not realize it until the event, but the teachers also enjoyed the presentation. One history teacher stated that his energy level usually drops this time of year, but after this event “he will have enough enthusiasm and material from Law Day to keep him and the students going until the end of the school year.” The teachers and students suggested that we continue to host an event like this one in the future. We also invited the schools to tour the court anytime in the future. In the future, the magistrates plan to visit the schools to reach out to more students. The 100th birthday for Denver Juvenile Court is in 2003. We have already started making plans for that event, since this one was such a success. Sample Programs Home | By Audience | By Location | By Sponsoring Organization