Lincoln Elementary Students Have Their Day In Court
On November 1, 2024, Judge Tess Neff of the Lakewood Municipal Court held a special session in her courtroom, complete with attorneys, witnesses, and a jury. Playing these roles were a group of 3rd grade students from Lincoln Elementary school, invited into the courtroom by Judge Neff as part of the students’ larger visit to City Hall.
The students sat in the gallery while Judge Neff gave an overview of the judicial process, after which they were invited into the well of the court, the area of the courtroom where judicial proceedings occur. A student volunteer sat in the witness stand and was “sworn in” by Judge Neff. The witness was questioned by a student attorney under the watchful scrutiny of the student jury, seated in the jury box.
Some students were then given the opportunity to occupy the top seat in the court room – Judge Neff’s bench – and bang the Judge’s gavel. Although generally employed to establish order in the court, in this case it resulted in a cacophony of enthusiastic banging thanks to the mini-gavel pencils Judge Neff had provided to each of the students.
Once order had been restored, it was Judge Neff’s turn to be questioned by the students. Dressed in her black judicial robe, the Judge addressed questions such as “Is this the Supreme Court?” to “Is there a jail here?”
With the students’ questioning concluded, and a full docket of hearings about to commence, Judge Neff dismissed the students to continue their tour of City Hall, including meeting with Mayor Meghan George!
Connecting with the Lakewood community has been a cornerstone of Judge Neff’s tenure on the bench. The Judge saw the visit from the Lincoln Elementary students as an opportunity for civic engagement with the younger generation. “Kids are never too young to learn how their city works,” said Judge Neff. “I am honored to serve the community I live in and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to share the courtroom with Lakewood students.”