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High School Seniors Experience Life as Jurors ---and Find Delivering Justice Isn't Easy Over 2,000 high school seniors sat in judgment today of a fellow student charged with a drug offense--and found that delivering justice isn't as easy as it might seem. In 34 federal courtrooms across the country today, the students sat as members of a federal jury and participated in a mock trial in which the fictitious defendant--an 18-year-old like them--faced drug possession charges after he was stopped for drunken driving and cocaine was found. Their deliberations on the defendant's guilt or innocence were part of the nation's observance of Law Day. The 90-minute trial was broadcast via satellite over the closed-circuit Federal Judicial Television Network to approximately 200 federal courthouses. Judges from each of the 12 geographic federal circuits and high school students from Boston to Spokane and from Fort Myers to South Bend participated in the satellite program, the first of its kind for the federal courts. The theme of this year's Law Day is" Celebrate Your Freedom: The Importance of Jury Service to an Independent Judiciary." The federal courts' celebration is sponsored by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and the American Judicature Society. The program gave high school seniors early exposure to jury service so that they will respond positively when called for jury duty. The mock trial was broadcast live from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts in Washington, D.C. and transmitted to courthouses via satellite over the federal judiciary's internal television network. A video gave the testimony of witnesses and the defendant as Judge Joseph Rodriguez of Camden, New Jersey, moderated the program from Washington. In his wrap-up, Judge Rodriguez presented the points a prosecutor and public defender would make, then as in an actual trial, he gave instructions on the law to the jurors/students. The students were given 10 minutes to deliberate. Twelve of the participating courthouses were linked by interactive push-to-talk technology, which allowed participants at these sites to talk to each other and announce their verdicts during the live broadcast. (See attached list of courthouses.) Other courthouses faxed or emailed their results. In the end all but two juries acquitted the young defendant, with two hung juries. Following the trial, the students continued their discussions, moderated by a locally presiding judge, and with a local federal prosecutor and federal public defender who answered questions and encouraged comments. Students took the opportunity to voice their thoughts about the justice system, and what they thought of the trial and its participants. "We can see from their responses that they understand the importance of being the conscience of our community--of being a partner with the Judiciary," said Judge Rodriguez. "I think if the students see that they have the opportunity to become part of the process they'll have greater confidence that this process is working in a democratic society." Launched a year ago, the Federal Judicial Television Network broadcasts educational and informational programming for federal judges and court employees throughout the country. Offering nearly 30 hours of programming per week, the network has become the federal government's second largest civilian broadcasting network. The Law Day broadcast represents the first time the network has invited the public to participate in its programming. For video of the program or additional information call the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Community and Educational Outreach Manager Rebecca Fanning at 202/5022600. Students deliberated for 10 minutes on the guilt or innocence of a defendant in the mock trial. In the end, all but two juries voted to acquit, with two hung juries. The trial was part of the Judiciary's nationwide celebration of Law Day. High school students sat as jurors at thirty-four federal courtrooms, 12 of which were interactive "push to talk" sites. The theme of this year's Law Day is "Celebrate Your Freedom: The importance of Jury Service to an Independent Judiciary." * Indicates court participating in national link with interactive dialogue
District of Columbia * Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building, Washington, D.C. Presiding: Chief Judge Norma Holloway Johnson Court Contact: Joe Alexander, 202-354-3320 First Circuit * U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Boston, MA Presiding: Judge Nancy Gertner Court Contact: Barbara Rabinovitz, 617-748-4012 Second Circuit * U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, NY, NY Presiding: Judge Colleen McMahon Court Contact: Clifford P. Kirsh, 212-805-0500 Third Circuit * U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Presiding: Judge Norma L. Shapiro Court Contact: Joe Rodgers, 215-597-7704 * U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Camden Presiding: Magistrate Judge Robert B. Kugler Court Contact: Sharon Ann Krause, 609-757-5062 * U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg Presiding: Judge Yvette Kane Court Contact: Gary Hollinger, 717-221-3950 * U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Scranton Presiding: Judge Tom Vanaskie Court Contact: Mary D’Andrea, 570-270-5600 U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey Presiding: Judge John W. Bissell Court Contact: Susan Travis, 973-645-6697 U.S. District Court for the District of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas Presiding: Chief Judge Thomas K. Moore Court Contact: Orrin Arnold, 340-773-0640 Fourth Circuit U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Charleston Presiding: Chief Judge Charles H. Haden, II Court Contact: Sam Kay, 304-347-3050 Fifth Circuit * U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Presiding: Judge David Hittner Court Contact: Denise A. Estopinal, 504-589-2730 U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, New Orleans Presiding: Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon Court Contact: Dawn Fanning, 504-589-7730 U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, Baton Rouge Presiding: Judge Ralph Tyson Court Contact: Martha Rome, 225-389-3510 U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Lubbock Presiding: Judge Sam R. Cummings Court Contact: Mike O’Brien, 214-753-2157 U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Presiding: Magistrate Judge Nancy Stein Nowak Court Contact: Mary Beth Byrd, 210-472-6363 Sixth Circuit * U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, Memphis Presiding: Chief Bankruptcy Judge David S. Kennedy Court Contact: Sandy Flanagan, 901-544-3267 U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville Presiding: Chief Judge Robert L. Echols Court Contact: Federal Prosecutor Lee Deneke, 615-736-5151 U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Lansing Presiding: Judge David W. McKeague Court Contact: Bonnie Dabbs, 517-377-1570 Seventh Circuit * U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Chicago Presiding: Chief Judge Marvin E. Aspen Court Contact: Chris Allen, 312-435-5607 U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Hammond Presiding: To Be Announced Court Contact: Kurt Koch, 219-937-5235 U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Fort Wayne Presiding: Chief Judge William C. Lee Court Contact: Kathryn Brooks, 219-937-5235 U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, South Bend Presiding: Judge Allen Sharp Court Contact: Linda Walker, 219-246-8000 Eighth Circuit * U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Little Rock Presiding: Chief Judge Susan Webber Wright Court Contact: James McCormack, 501-324-6640 U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska, Omaha Presiding: Chief Judge William G. Cambridge Court Contact: Denise Lucks, 402-221-4910 Ninth Circuit * U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, Reno Presiding: Chief Judge Howard D. McKibben Court Contact: Linda Sharer, 775-686-5813 U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, Las Vegas Presiding: Judge Philip M. Pro Court Contact: Andrea Ward, 702-388-6071 U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, Spokane Presiding: To Be Announced Court Contact: Leslie Downey, 509-353-2150 TenthCircuit U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming, Cheyenne Presiding: Chief Judge Alan Johnson Court Contact: Betty Griess, 307-772-2145 U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming, Casper Presiding: Judge William F. Downes Court Contact: Betty Griess, 307-772-2145 Eleventh Circuit U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Fort Myers Presiding: Magistrate Judge George T. Schwartz Court Contact: Leslie Stoddard, 941-461-2002 U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Jacksonville Presiding: Judge Harvey Schlesinger Court Contact: Ginny Flick, 904-232-3336 U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Presiding: Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Jenkins Court Contact: John Marshall, 813-301-5460 Bankruptcy Judge Alexander L. Paskay Court Contact: Carl Stewart, 813-301-5050 U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, Montgomery Presiding: Chief Judge William H. Albritton, III Court Contact: Cindy Charles, 334-223-7308 U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama, Mobile Presiding: Clerk of Court Deborah S. Hunt Court Contact: Maria Payne, 334-690-2371, ext. 181 U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Presiding: To Be Announced Court Contact: Lucy Moses, 404-215-1639