More than 100 children participating in the Broward Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Explorers program came to visit the central courthouse last Friday. The group spent the morning visiting several different courtrooms and ended the visit with a special presentation by Chief Judge Jack Tuter. Other judges who were involved are: Judge Siegel, Judge Orlando, Judge Kollra, Judge Towbin Singer, Judge Duffy, Judge Usan, Judge Rebollo, Judge Pole, Judge Carpenter-Toye and Judge Kaplan.

The explorers academy works with teens and young adults (14-20 years of age) by allowing them to interact with law enforcement and other community advisors, giving them the opportunity to learn and experience lawful citizenship as they participate side-by-side with law enforcement deputies and civilian personnel in on-going training and community service projects.

The Young Lawyers Section of the Broward County Bar Association held a “Breakfast with the Judiciary” event last Friday, in the central courthouse’s law library. The event offers a relaxed environment in which new attorneys and judges in the Seventeenth Circuit can talk.

Judge Barner and other representatives of Community Court recently traveled to New York City to visit the Centers for Court Innovation, to learn more about, and exchange ideas on, Community Court initiatives across the nation.

The Seventeenth Circuit began its Community Court earlier this year, and is seeing great success with the program!

Fifteen high school students from JP Taravella High School’s Police Academy visited the central courthouse to observe different courts in session and to tour the BSO Crime Lab. The program is designed for selected students who are interested in law enforcement and public safety and their visit was a result of their criminal law and the courts process studies.

Last week, many of the circuit’s newest judges met with more senior judges who volunteer to mentor those new to the bench. The judicial mentor program in the Seventeenth Circuit is led by Judge Greene.