One of the best resources you have for your engagement are judges and other court actors. Judges play a central role in court activities and have a deep knowledge of the law and judicial system. Prosecutors, public defenders, probation supervisors, law enforcement representatives, and other judicial system actors also bring a lot of knowledge to community-court engagement activities. Court actors may be involved in follow-up steps or other action. It is important to be aware that the active involvement of court actors in your engagement may create additional considerations. Because of their positions of authority or knowledge of the topic, judges and other court officials can draw lots of attention – either positive or negative.
Tips and Tricks for Involving Court Actors
- All court actors should have a clear understanding of their role at the engagement activity, and how the facilitator will manage interaction between and among court actors and other participants. An important consideration is making sure court actors do not dominate the engagement session, or unintentionally stifle opinions from community members.
- At the outset of the engagement activity, the facilitator should clarify to the audience what the roles are of judges and other court actors. Are they neutral facilitators, observers, or content experts?
- Develop a plan for situations when participants are asking legal questions to court actors that they cannot comment on (e.g., clarify to the audience that judges or other court professionals should not personally opine on specific legal situations or policies).
- Some community members may have questions or complaints for court actors. Facilitators should be prepared to manage and redirect the discussion to the goals of the engagement and defuse tense situations when court actors are placed “on the spot.”