In June 2009, teachers from around the state had the opportunity to learn about the history and operation of the judicial branch when Courts in the Classroom hosted the second annual From the Inside Out: How Indiana’s Courts Work.
This two-week graduate level course for teachers was offered through the IUPUI School of Education and sponsored by the Indiana Supreme Court in partnership with the Indiana Bar Foundation. The workshop was designed to familiarize participants with the daily operations of many different parts of the legal system (not just courts) and to provide resources for use in teaching about courts and the law.
The participants came from as far away as the tiny town of Sandborn to the south (near Vincennes) and Lafayette to the north to attend this program. The class was not limited to social studies teachers, but was open to anyone who works or teaches in a school. As a result there were quite a few government and history teachers, but also counselors, school administrators, special education teachers, and even an orchestra director. The teachers involved in this program come in contact with approximately 5,600 students each school year. The underlying principle of the proposal is that the more people who understand how the courts work the better.
One goal was to provide as many experiences as possible, divided between the work of trial courts and appellate courts. On the first day, participants were given an overview of the court system, including a presentation by Chief Deputy Executive Director of State Court Administration, Dave Remondini. The teachers were also able to spend almost thirty minutes talking with Justices Ted Boehm and Brent Dickson. The class was headquartered in the Supreme Court’s conference room in the Statehouse, but fieldtrips were scheduled almost every remaining day of the first week.
Teachers visited local trial courts, talked with court staff, toured prison facilities, and participated in a mock law school class. Starting in the Marion County courts, since they are located just down the street from the Statehouse, and with Marion Superior Court Presiding Judge Bob Altice as our host, the participants sat in on initial hearings, a murder trial, and a Title IV D proceeding. Wanting to provide teachers with a court experience that might be closer to those in their home communities, we then visited the Hamilton County courthouse. In Noblesville, Judge Gail Bardach and Magistrate David Najjar (both members of the Indiana Judicial Conference Community Relations Committee Speaker’s Bureau) opened their courtrooms to our attendees who were able to observe a full morning of sentencing hearings and a child custody case.
After each session, the judges, prosecutors, public defenders, social workers and other staff in both counties met with the teachers and answered questions about the general operation of their courts or the specific proceedings the teachers had observed. This opportunity to interact with the judges was a highlight for most participants based on the reflections written after each fieldtrip. Almost to a person, they commented on how compassionate the judges and court staff were and how much they seemed to really care about what happened to the people in their courts.
After spending two days in courtrooms, with the help of Deputy Commissioner Randy Koester, the teachers visited the Department of Correction’s Women’s Prison, located just east of downtown Indianapolis. The teachers in our workshop were overwhelmed by the number of education and rehabilitation programs available for the offenders. Most had anticipated a “scary” experience and were pleasantly surprised (and a little amazed) with what this facility has to offer. Inmates in the prison’s culinary program provided a light breakfast, prisoners in the “One Net” project presented a Power Point on their efforts to send mosquito nets to Africa, offenders involved in the ICAN program demonstrated how they train dogs to assist special needs clients, and finally incarcerated mothers in the Wee Ones Nursery shared their experiences about living at the prison with their babies. Not many people know that there are dogs and babies living in an Indiana prison!
As if the teachers weren’t mentally exhausted by their courtroom and prison excursions, the first week ended with a mock law school class at Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis presented by Professor (and Indiana Supreme Court law clerk) Joel Schumm and a legal research assignment in the Supreme Court Law Library.
The second week started with a visit to the Marion County Juvenile Courts and Detention Center. The teachers were able to observe some CHINS proceedings, tour the detention facility, and talk with Magistrates Gary Chavers and Beth Jansen. Magistrate Jansen encouraged the teachers to send her a list of suggestions to incorporate into her orders about parental behavior. To have someone ask them about how students could be helped thrilled the teachers. The group compiled a list of suggestions, including requiring parents to attend teacher conferences and a request that schools be notified when a student has been incarcerated. Jansen also encouraged the teachers to consider signing up as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs). Rebecca Harris, one of our participants, volunteers as a CASA and spoke passionately with her classmates about this important need.
The visit to the juvenile center concluded our focus on the trial courts, and the attendees returned to the Statehouse for the rest of the course. With the help of Supreme Court Law Clerks Kristen Fowler, Dino Pollock, Oni Harton, Finis Tatum, and Josh Tatum the teachers began to prepare in earnest for a mock oral argument. To help them understand the appellate process, Deputy Clerk of Courts Heather Smith walked them through the process of submitting an appeal and even showed them where to execute a Rotunda Filing. Appellate Court Judge Margret Robb talked with the teachers about the workings of the Court of Appeals, and finally it was time for the class to get to work.
The teams had two days to complete preparations for their mock oral arguments in the cases of Larry L. McGhee v. State and Babes Showclub v. Patrick Lair. The group was split in half between the two cases and then divided again into counsel for either appellee or appellant. The mock oral arguments were held in the Supreme Court Courtroom with all of the formalities of an on-the-record argument. Supreme Court Sheriff Gary Miller called the session to order with guest Justices Chuck Dunlap (Executive Director of the Indiana Bar Foundation), Dave Remondini, and Greta Scodro (Deputy Supreme Court Administrator). The next day the teachers were in the audience observing the real arguments of these same cases presented in the same courtroom. The program concluded with a lunch allowing the participants to interact with all of the Supreme Court Justices and other Judges and guests from the program. In order to pass the class and receive graduate credits, each teacher had to complete a mock opinion for their case. They are eagerly awaiting the Court’s opinions in these cases.
Video Diary Online
Experience for yourself “From the Inside Out: How Indiana’s Courts Work” by watching a video diary of the program. The ten-minute video is a behind the scenes look at government, focusing mainly on the Judicial Branch. Indiana teachers take a private tour of the Governor’s office, conduct a mock oral argument, and meet with Indiana appellate and trial court judges—and it’s all on camera.
Sean Donelson, a New Media student at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) shot and edited the video diary. Donelson is in his final year at IUPUI, working towards a degree in Audio and Video Production. He hopes to go into the film production business when he graduates. He acted as the one-man paparazzi during the program, following the teachers through study sessions and field trips. Donelson says he even learned a great deal about the judicial branch during the 10-day shoot.The video, “Behind the Scenes” which details the “From the Inside Out: How Indiana’s Courts Work” can be found online at courts.IN.gov/video/city2009
Overall, according to course evaluations, the course was a resounding success. At the end of the two weeks, the teachers left tired but full of energy and enthusiasm about the courts, and eager to share with their students and colleagues the judiciary’s role in protecting our rights. Participants reported in their evaluations that this was “the best [course] I have ever attended. The hands-on was wonderful”; “[this was the] best class I’ve ever had in 5 years, jammed packed good info[rmation] and interest”; “I would rate this very highly. It was interactive, incorporated technology, provided valuable tools for future use in the classroom, and taught many new concepts.”
We hope to be able to offer this course again next year, exposing more teachers and their students to the workings of the Court and the free resources available from Courts in the Classroom.