South Orange Teens Tackle Police-Community Relations In Mock Trial

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — More than 20 teens from the Essex Hudson Chapter of Jack and Jill of America - several hailing from South Orange and Maplewood - tackled the tough issue of police-community relations through participation in a mock trial held at the Hillside Municipal Court on Jan. 22.

During the “mock trial,” the teens played the roles of judge, prosecuting and defense attorneys, witnesses, bailiffs and jurors, receiving coaching from local attorneys. Their case on Jan. 22 had the teens act out the legal proceedings for a “case” involving of a car of teenagers stopped by police for an alleged traffic infraction and given several tickets, a situation that then escalated to “violence.”

Chief Judge Carl Marshall arranged for the teens to use the municipal courthouse for the event, and also spoke to the teens about his job as a judge and their role as the next generation of leaders.

Other visiting advice was imparted by Hillside Mayor Angela Garretson, who told the teens about her background and how she got involved in politics, as well as several Hillside police officers who stopped by to encourage the teens to develop relationships with the officers in their communities.

The group of teens also partook in a panel discussion about the proper way to interact with police during stops, with a focus on what to do if they feel they’re being unfairly treated, according to event organizers.

Photo: Essex Hudson Chapter of Jack and Jill of America

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