BEARING WITNESS: Jackson ES Kids Hear Goldilocks Case

BY TONY WEST/ The courtroom was overflowing with jurors, witnesses and concerned citizens. A lot was riding on the outcome of this case. Especially for Goldilocks. Had she eaten other people’s – I mean bears’ – porridge and broken their chair? Did she have a right to sleep in their bed?

Furrowing their brows in the jury box was a panel of a dozen 2nd-graders from Andrew Jackson ES at 11th & Ellsworth Streets. They had been sworn in before Judge Idee Fox to hear the dispute between Goldilocks and the Three Bears in order to celebrate “Law Day”.

COMMON PLEAS Judge Annette Rizzo welcomes students to Law Day mock trials as Councilwoman María Quiñones Sánchez waits to announce one trial will be conducted entirely in Spanish.

They were among 350 grade-schoolers who participated in mock trials at City Hall Friday of the legal disputes known popularly as “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”, “Three Little Pigs” and “Jack and the Beanstalk”. Students had received subpoenas at school prior to the event.

They were welcomed at City Hall’s ceremonial Courtroom 653 by President Judge Pamela Dembe, two City Council Members and a host of volunteers from the Philadelphia Bar Association who were helping to make this educational experience in American justice come off well.

“I must ask you not to form opinions about the facts, about right and wrong, until you have heard all that everyone has to say,” admonished Judge Dembe. “Do not rush to judgement.”

Afterwards, the students dispersed to 13 different courtrooms, where 13 different judges were presiding. After hour-long trials, the juries deliberated for 15 minutes to come up with their verdict.

For Andrew Jackson’s young citizens, the decision was complicated, but they made up their minds: Goldilocks was not guilty on one count, guilty on two counts.

It’s not known how Goldilocks reacted to the verdict. Andrew Jackson’s students, though (they’re known as “Jacksonians”), were very happy with the outcome.

“They loved it,” said their teacher Ms. Wendy Segal. “They loved being in the courtroom and really loved the judge. She shook all their hands.”

Judge Fox may have been especially warm because she’s a Jacksonian too. South Philly born, she graduated from Andrew Jackson … well, the Judge hasn’t been subpoenaed to testify, so we won’t say how many years ago.

Courtroom thinking is a featured part of Andrew Jackson’s educational experience, said Principal Lisa Kaplan.

“We are a very diverse school community,” explained Ms. Kaplan. “We may be more civic-minded than usual because many of our families are going through the process of seeking citizenship right now.”

So the school has a vigorous program of exposure to civic processes. Last fall, former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor gave a presentation to Andrew Jackson, even swearing in its newly elected student government. The year before, Judge Midge Rendell – former Gov. Ed Rendell’s wife – did the honors.

Rest assured, then, Goldilocks’ fate was in good hands.

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