ED 430 169

TITLE

INSTITUTION

SPONS AGENCYPUB DATENOTEAVAILABLE FROM

PUB TYPEEDRS PRICEDESCRIPTORSIDENTIFIERS

ABSTRACT

DOCUMENT RESUME

CG 029 237

What's My Job in Court? An Answer and Activity Book for KidsWho Are Going to Court.United States Attorney's Office, Washington, DC.; Children'sAdvocacy Center, Washington, DC.Department of Justice, Washington, DC.1998-00-0029p.

U.S. Government Printing Office, Superintendent ofDocuments, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328.Guides Classroom Learner (051)MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.*Children; *Court Litigation; DefinitionsActivity Books; Coloring Books

This activity and answer book is designed for children whowill be serving as witnesses in court cases. It uses three child characters.The book defines the role of each of the following: judge, prosecutor,victim's advocate, defense attorney, witness, court reporter, clerk of court,and jury. Also explained is the courthouse itself; a drawing of a courtroomshows where court officials, witnesses, etc. sit. Advice on what to do beforecourt is offered. Throughout the booklet an emphasis is placed on telling thetruth. A set of rules of the courtroom and activities in the booklet make itclear that it is normal to be upset and nervous and emphasizes that childrenshould let court officials know this when it happens. Children are alsoreminded that if they don't understand a question to say so and if they areasked about something they don't remember it is okay to say that they don'tremember. Also explains what happens when the child's job as witness is over.Activities to reinforce material presented include: connect-the-dots,puzzles, and review questions. Includes a glossary of terms. (MKA)

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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be madefrom the original document.

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U.S. Department of JusticeU.S. Attorneys OfficeDistrict (?f Columbia

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOffice of Educational Research and improvement

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERIC)

0 This document has been reprOduced asreceived from the person or organizationoriginating it.

o Minor changes 'have been made to improvereproduction quality.

Points of view or opinions stated in thisdocu-ment do not necessarily represent officialOERI position or policy.

2 BEST copy AVAILABLE

You may want toremember some names,dates and places. Here is aplace to write them clown.

My name is'

The prosecutor i5'

Telephone number:

The police officer is'

Telephone number.

My court date is:

I met the prosecutor on.

My birthday is'

I am in grade.

The name of my school is'

My teacher's name i5'

My favorite subject is'

My hobbies are:

The people in my family are:

Your prosecutor would like to know a little bit about you.

Can you show this page to him or her?

WHAT'S MY JOB IN COURT?A Coloring and Activity Dookfor Kids Going to Court.

Illustrated by Martha C. Vaughan

Published by

Victim Witness Assistance UnitUnited States Attorney's Office555 4th Street NWWashington D.C. 20001(202) 514-7364

and

D.C. Children's Advocacy Center400 E Street NWWashington D.C. 20001(202) 638-2575

4

WHAT'S MY )0B INCOURT?An Answer andActivity book forKids Who areGoing to Court

Victim WitnessAssistance Unit,United StatesAttorney's Officeand theD.C. Children's Advo-

cacy Center

What's in this book?Page

introduction 3Legal Eagles 4What is a Courthouse? 5Before Court 6What is the Judge's Job? 7What does the prosecutor do? 8What i5 a victim's advocate? 9Other things to know about going to court 10What i5 the defense attorney's job? 11

What does a witness do? 12

What if .. 13

Who are those other people in court? 15

All about the jury 16Where does everyone sit? 17

Rules of the courtroom 18Puzzle 19

What happens when my job i5 over? 20Connect the dots 21

Things to do 22Answers 23What does that mean? 24

0 5

T R 1) CT 11 N

This book i5 for children like They areyou who may have to go to al2out newcourt. When you go to court and 50111e

you will have to tell the truth you willabout something scary or turn tobad that happened. Tellingthe truth i5 not always easy. "VOT40-34In this I2ook you will meet .,.:4:;-f4,..-

three children: Keisha,Justin and Ana. T

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friends,new

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Hi, I'm Keisha. My friends Justinand Ana and I have

an important jobto do. Just like you.

I'm Justin.

When someone breaks a law itis called a crime. You mayhave seen someonebreak the law or youmay know somethingabout it.

Ana: Maybe someone didsomething to hurt you orsomeone else. The person who is hurt y a crime 15

called a victim. It i5 never the victim'sfault when someone else hurts them.If someone hurt you, then you are avictim. Witnesses are people who seecrimes happen. If you 531N someone else

get hurt you are a witness. If you haveto go to court and tell what happened

to you, thenyou are 3witness,too.

eisha

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AnanC))

What is a Courthouse?

H. Carl Moultrie

Courthouse of the District of Columbia

1111.111(011

irnIn Washington

D.C., there is abuilding calleda courthouse.It is a placewhere judges,

and some-timesjuries,

decide ifsome-

one hasbroken the

law.

Can you completethe courthouse byfilling in the U.S. flagand drawing yourselfnext to me?

What is the judge's job?

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11 11 II 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11

The judge i5 the bossjudge's job to listenin court. You can callyour turn to talk. Itlaw and to decideprove the law Wasschool?

What does the judgeJudges wear regular

saw the judge on the

of the courtroom. It's theto everything that everyone saysthe judge "Your Honor" when it i5

is also the judge's job to know thewhether there is enough evidence tobroken. Who acts like a judge at

wear under his robe?clothes under their robes. If you

bestreet you wouldn'table to tell he i5 aWomen can be judges

too. Many judges1110M1rrlies

daddies.

judge.

areand

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107

i.

What does the prosecutor do?(DI at.

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The prosecutor is called the Assistant UnitedStates Attorney. The prosecutor helps you do yourjob as a witness. The prosecutor does this by asking youquestions 50 the judge and jury can listen to theanswers.

At the beginning, the prosecutor may ask you 5Orrlequestions like these:

How old are you?What grade are you in?What does it mean when you "promise to tell the truth?"What do you think might happen if people do not tell thetruth in court?

Do you

cutor

If have about to

thinkabout

you questions going

court, you can ask the prosecutor orthe victim advocate for help.Can you answer these questions andshow your answers to theprosecutor?

it will be hard to talk to the prose-what happened?

Why?

What questions do you want to ask the prose-cutor?

Do you know someone who would like to come tocourt with you? Who?15 there anything about going to court thatscares you2

Draw a picture of your prosecutor

811

What i 5 a victim acIvocate?,

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1\Th e v'ctimtor. Thecan trust.questionswith thecourtadvocate

)--)-) You may

and your

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advocate works with the prosecu-advocate i5 someone like a friend you

Your advocate will answer yourand can be with you when you meet

prosecutor. The advocate can go towith you. You can always tell your victim

if you are scared, worried or upset.

also have a 5 ocia I wo rker to help youfamily. Sometimes the social worker

may ask you lots of ques-4 K7 D

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6 tions.you

cworker

It is important thatanswer the questions

and talk to the socialabout how you

are feeling.

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12

Other things to know aboutgoing to court

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If someone asks a question and you don'tknow the answer, it is OK to say, "I don'tknow the answer to your question."

If someone asks you a ques-tion and you don't under-

.

,

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stand what they are dil AIL AILtalking about, simply 111111halk

:---.say, "I don't !;-:ct

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the clues- 11 etion."Clb ab, f

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ft someone asks youto talk about SOMe-thing that makes you feeluncomfortable or embar-rassed, simply take a deepbreath and remember that yourjob in court i5 to tell what hap-pened to you. The judge is therehelp you. The judge and jury needknow everything about what happenedto you. Many witnesses havethings that make them feel uncomfortablesad--even adults.

It i5 OK to cry in court. If youask the judge if you can stopbreak.

If you need to go to the bathroom,judge or the prosecutor if youEven judges have to go to the

someoneII..dir asks you aIwor

to Ss

to 00

to talk about 0or 0

start to cry, you cantalking and take a short

all you have to do i5 askcan take a short break to gobathroom sometimes!

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bathroom.

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question aboutsomething yout remember, it

i5 OK to say,"I don'tre m e ri-

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What is the defense attorney's job?

The person who may have hurt someone is called thedefendant. The defendant's lawyer i5 called thedefense attorney.

Can you give an example of breaking the law?

The defense attorney gets to ask you questions after theprosecutor has finished asking you questions.

PLY

Sometimes when you are talking incourt, the defense attorney orprosecutor may stand up andinterrupt you to talk to the judge.Don't worry. You haven't done any-thing wrong. No one i5 angry at

It... you. All you have to do i5 stoptalking until the judge tells you tofinish answering the question.

11

1 A

A witness i5 a very important person incourt. Your job 35 a witness i5 to listen tothe questions and give answers for thejudge to hear. This iscalled giving

evidence. The mostimportant thingabout being a wit-ness is telling thetruth.

12 115

, H ,A\T0 0 1 F 0 B 0

You are asked a question and you don't understand it?

You are asked a question and you can't remember the answer?

You are asked an embarrassing question?

You cry in court?

You need to go to the bathroom?

You are asked more than one question at a time?

41/

,

13

1 6

Some kids are scared about going to court. If you arenervous or scared, you should tell the prosecutor or thevictim advocate. The prosecutor or advocate will showyou the courtroom before it i5 time to be a witness andanswer your questions.

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advocatein

47Only one witness can go into the courtroomat a time. You will wait in a special room untiltime for you to be a witness. Your victimsomeone else you choose may sit with youroom. You can bring a book, doll, or quiet toy

odil1P-

it i5

orthe waiting

with you.

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17

Who are those other people in court?

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The co u rt re po rte r's job is towrite down everything thateveryone says in court. Thereporter U565 a special typingmachine. You can make the

court reporter's job easier if youspeak loudly and slowly. It's OKto take your time. If you meanyes or no, you should always saythe words and not just shakeyour head.

cO

P aillib- jiielIIPP-Z-- '

The courtroom clerk's job isto help the judge. When the

judge COMe5 in, the clerk says,"All rise." That means everybodystands up. The clerk will ask you

to raise your right hancl andpromise to

- :: tell thetruth incourt. If

you agreeto tell the

truthsay,

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The job of the U.S. Marshal is to keep everyone safe incourt. Can you color the U. S. Marshal?

o

15

18

i

All About the Jury

Sometimes there will be a jurycourtroom. A jury i5 made upof people who live in Washington,people on the jury are called jurors,they are picked by the prosecutorthe defense attorney.

1

in

of a

,

Ali

the The jury's job is to listen carefully to allgroup the witnesses and to decide together if

DC. The the defendant broke the law. Whenand there is no jury in the courtroom, it is

and the judge's job to decide whether some-one broke the law.

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Where does everyone sit?

A. Judge F. Defense Attorney13. Courtroom Clerk G. ProsecutorC. Court Reporter H. Jury (if there is one)D. Witness I. U.S. MarshalE. Witness Waiting ROMs

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In America everybody tries to be very careful and fair when decidingwhether people have broken the law or not. That i5 because if peopleare found guilty of breaking the law, they can be punished. It i5 notenough that the judge or jury thinks the defendant probably broke thelaw. The law says that the jury or judge cannot find a person guiltyunless they feel certain that the person broke the law.

Rules for witnesses:

Tell the truth.

If you can't remember something or don't understand what someonesays, say 50.

If you don't know the answer to a question, say you don't know.Don't guess.

If you don't understand the question, tell them that you don'tunderstand.

If you are sure about the answer to a question, you can say so. If youare not sure, you can tell the judge and jury what parts you are notsure of.

Talk to the judge if something is bothering you or if you have a questionwhile you are being a witness.

18

21

There are a lot of things wrong in thiscourtroom. How many can you find?You can find the answers on page 24.

, .- 2219

41111P, What happens when my job is over?

*If the judge or jury finds the defendant not guilty of breakingthe law, the defendant i5 free to go. If the defendant i5 foundguilty, one of the things the judge must decide is how to keep thedefendant from breaking the law again. To do this, sometimesthe judge sets rules about what the defendant can and cannotdo. Sometimes the judge makes the defendant pay money.Sometimes the judge sends the defendant to jail. Sometimesthe judge makes the defendant get special help.

*Before the judge decides what to do *If the jury finds the defendant not guilty,with the defendant, you will get to make it doesn't mean you did a bad job tellinga victim impact statement. This is your the truth. If you have any questions aboutchance to tell the judge how you felt what the jury decides in the case, you canabout the crime and to say what you ask the prosecutor or victim advocate.would like the judge to do. You can write After court i5 all over, some kids feel sadthe judge a letter or draw pictures. Your or upset. You should talk to someonevictim advocate can help you. about how you feel.

/...- I,--,----*Whatever happens, you have clone animportant job by being a witness. Going tocourt and telling the truth will help you andmaybe other children be safe. You may still

,lifill remember some bad things about whathappened but now

have 501-116 new41,4's7

youfriends to help you. f

You are very 19rave.C17

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Thank you for beingwilling to tell the

d p truth in court.\i'd

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Connect The Dots,

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24

Things To Do

A lot happens before people go to court.Let's follow some of the steps.

The Trial

Meet with theAssistant U.S.

Attorney

U

What does that mean?

Allegation: Somethingsays happened,

Charge: The law thatthe defendant has broken.

Complaint: A statementaccusing someone of

Continuance: F'ut offtime.

Cross-examine: Questioningby the attorney for the

Evidence: Things thatin court and things (suchclothes or drawings)court to show what happened.

Interview: A meetingprosecutor.

Juror: A person who

Oath: A promise to tell

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41Dh 49)

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Mk

that someone

the police

to thebreaking

trial until

other

witnessesas photographs,

that are

with the

i5 on the

the truth.

Obje cti on: A reason that an attorneyinterrupts a witness to talk to the judge.

believe Plea: The answer the defendant gives(guilty or not guilty) to the charge.

police Preliminary Hearing: A hearing where thethe law. judge decides whether there i5 enough evi-

dence to make the defendant have a trial.another

Sentence: The punishment the judge givesto someone found guilty of breaking the

of a witness law.

side.

Sequestration: A rule that sayssay witnesses cannot talk to other witnesses

or hear what other people say.brought to

Statement: A description that a witnessgives to the police and that the police

police or write down.

Subpoena: A piece of paper 'delivered 19y ajury. detective that tells a witness when and

where to come to court.

Testify: Answer questions in court.

Testimony: What a witness says in court.

Transcript: A typewritten record that ismade by the court reporter of what is saidin court.

defendant pleadTrial:

A hearing that takes place when thes "not guilty" and4 61.

uired to come to court

/1111111.11h.

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26

A n 5 we r 5

WHAT IF ... Page 131. If you don't understand what people are asking, say, "I don'tunderstand." If they repeat it and you still don't know whatthey mean, ask them to say it in a different way or aneasier way.2. You might be asked about things that you don't rememberor about things that didn't happen. If you don't remember, say,"I don't remember. Don't guess. If you know somethingnever happened, say so. If you forget the order in whichthings happened, it's okay. The most important thing is to tellthe truth.3. You might be asked to talk about things that are embar-rassing. That's hard to do. Remember that judges andattorneys and everyone in court have heard people talka bout embarra ssing things a lot of times. You can tell thejudge you're embarrassed, but you should tell the judge whathappened even if it i5 embarrassing.4. Lots of people cry in court. It's okay. If you think youmight cry in court, tell the prosecutor. The prosecutor canmake sure there are tissues. Tell the prosecutor what youwant to happen if you cry: do you want a break or do you wantto keep on going?5. It's always a good idea to go to the bathroom just beforeyou go into court to be a witness. If you need to go to thebathroom while you're giving evidence, tell the judge you need abreak. If you're nervous about doing this, talk to the prosecu-tor before court about what you should do. You might agree toraise your hand so that the prosecutor can tell the judge youneed a break.6. It is easy to get mixed up or to mix up people who arelistening to if are asked too many

WHERE DOES EVERYONE SIT? Page 17

;I kU.S.

MarshalWitness

LLIJudge

NI(2t,

ClerkIIIA..../

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CourtReporter'SPt c.0

OgQ Defense)Attorney '# Jury /NS"U.S. Attor- \/

ney

011=1/

People watch-ing in court

IrThini-MIF=4=M=IIili1=1=11:=11

F'eople watch-ing in court

11-1C-1MMlillIllFAMill

= = "a; II= I=Witnesses waiting to testify

fl 11

= = = =Witnesses waiting to testify

you youquestions at a time. You might tell the attorney who is askingyou questions to ask you only one thing at a time so you cananswer properly. CONNECT

WHAT IS WRONG IN THIS COURTROOM?Page 191. The judge i5 eating a sandwich. You should not eat incourt but it is a good idea o bring a snack with you while youwait.2. The witness is playing hide and seek in court.3. The clerk of the court i5 sleeping. She should be listening (to what is happening in court and ready to help the judge.4. The court reporter is blowing bubble gum. Don't chewgum in court!5. There is a kitten in the courtroom. Pets are not allowedin the court, but if you would like to bring a special toy to holdwhile you are waiting, that's fine. If there is someone you wantto come into the courtroom with you, ask the prosecutor.6. The prosecutor has his feet up on the desk. Everyoneshould try to sit up straight in court.7. People sitting in the seats are talking. They should trynot to talk while the judge is in court. If they have to say some-thing, they should whisper or leave quietly and talk outside.8. Someone is eating popcorn. This not a movie. Going tocourt is serious. No one should eat while in the courtroom, evenif that person is just watching.9. Someone is smoking. Smoking is not allowed in the court-room or in the courthouse.

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24 2 7

ac. Children'sAdvocacy Center300 E Street NWWashington D.C. 20001(202) 638-2575Kimberly Shellman, Executive Direc-tor

The Children's Advocacy Center(CAC) i5 a non-profit organizationcreated to provide a warm andwelcoming place for abused childrento be interviewed. The CAC worksclosely with police officers,prosecutors, victim advocates, andsocial workers to help coordinate achild-friendly approach to theinvestigation and prosecution ofcivil and criminal child abuse casesin the District of Columbia.

Victim Witness Assis-tance UnitUnited States Attorney's Office555 4th Street NWWashington D.C. 20001(202) 514-7130Kathryn Turman, Chief

The Victim Witness AssistanceUnit provides help to victims andwitnesses of crime while they areinvolved with the criminal justicesystem. The VWAU provides crisisintervention services, referrals forsocial and mental health services,information about the criminaljustice process and case status,and court accompaniment. Specialservices are available for child vic-tims, the elderly, and victims withdisabilities.

2

Kid's Court i5 a funprogram for kids whomay have to go tocourt. It takes place inthe afternoon afterschool. Kids whoparticipate in Kid'sCourt visit a realcourtroom and get achance to participatein a "pretend" trialwith other kids.

A

Kid's Court helps kidsfeel more comfortableabout going to court.Sometimes calledcourt school," Kid'sCourt i5 operated bythe D.C. Children's

Advocacy Center andthe Victim WitnessAssistance Unit of theU. S. Attorney's Office.

You can be a Legal Eagle, too!

PARIBINEM=1* U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE; 1998 - 438-824

.1

U.S. Department of EducationOffice of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI)

National Library of Education (NLE)Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)

NOTICE

REPRODUCTION BASIS

IC

This document is covered by a signed "Reproduction Release(Blanket) form (on file within the ERIC system), encompassing allor classes of documents from its source organization and, therefore,does not require a "Specific Document" Release form.

tFeThis document is Federally-funded, or carries its own permission toreproduce, or is otherwise in the public domain and, therefore, maybe reproduced by ERIC without a signed Reproduction Release form(either "Specific Document" or "Blanket").

EFF-089 (9/97)