All rise: A state judge is adding a fun twist to the justice system by letting these Southwest Florida youngsters take over the bench and cross examine their parents.
The honorable Robert Branning is used to hearing pleas, but this time he’s presiding in a smaller court with smaller people than he’s used to.
The Lee County judge kept the robes but ditched the coffee for some apple juice on Saturday as he ruled in “Kids Kourt”.
“Lot of fun. The kids made some really good points,” said Branning.
Held by the Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Florida in Fort Myers, children got the chance to make their case with a real prosecutor.
“One request was just one day a year to be able to stay up late,” said a prosecutor.
And the defense? Well, it was their dads.
“I feel like I won but everybody said that I lost,” said Feliciano DeJesus, a participant’s father.
It’s all part of a program called Level Up Dads, designed to help dads spend more time with their children and learn something new.
“We wanted to do a day where people could come and learn about the basics of the justice system and the court system,” said J.J. Wheeler, a participant’s father.
It was a request the judge was happy to grant—taking questions from the kids and their fathers.
“How do you stay neutral in hearing everything?” asked a dad.
“My role is to take the law and apply that law impartially,” Branning responded.
In some cases it wasn’t the ruling everybody hoped for.
“I still think we should be going to Puerto Rico and Pennsylvania,” said participant Arianna DeJesus.
But nonetheless, both parents and children got something special out of it.
“I really did enjoy seeing her stand up, being confident in front of the judge and plead her case,” said father Feliciano DeJesus.
The Child Parent Institute said dads and father figures play an important role in children’s healthy development, making them more confident and emotionally secure.
Florida kids argue cases in mock courtroom setting in front of real judge.
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