Examining the U.S. Judicial System from Northwest Florida is an excellent complement for national itineraries needing a small-to-medium-sized city component as Gulf Coast Diplomacy maintains excellent contacts in both the federal and county courthouses.
Past groups spent time at the First Judicial Circuit Court of Florida to examine court administration, case management, and the trial-by-jury process. Jury selection, a behind-the-scenes tour, and conversations with representatives from the State Attorney’s Office and the Public Defender’s Office rounded out the experience.
IVLP and Open World participants can examine family and juvenile law, meet with the Escambia Youth Justice Coalition, spend time at family and juvenile courts, and visit correctional institutions, juvenile detention centers, and teen courts. Local law firms are willing to speak about pro bono work, and visitors can explore legal clinics for impoverished citizens, domestic violence, judicial ethics, and court security issues. Several groups have met with the Gulf Coast Kids House to explore a one-stop shop for survivors of violence whose medical, law enforcement, judicial, and counseling teams work together to limit retraumatizing children.
On a Parental Child Abduction project, a North Okaloosa County Unified Family Court (UFC) judge welcomed the group to his chambers and spoke about how the UFC operates under the “One Family, One Judge” model. During this discussion, the group explored the procedures of the UFC and examined the value of allowing both parents access in a custody dispute. Members of the Youth Diplomats, the Gulf Coast Diplomacy youth leadership program, also met with this group composed of psychologists, a judge, and a professor from Japan to answer questions about how joint custody worked in their households.
What do these opportunities look like on an agenda? One of our U.S. Judicial System groups experienced:
- A welcome orientation at city hall where a council member and attorney spoke on the American legal system from the perspective of local government
- A day at the First Judicial Circuit Court with appointments, which included taking a courthouse tour, having roundtable discussions, and attending court proceedings
- A coffee discussion with community members at a local law office with government and private attorneys and a professor from the University of West Florida
- A meeting and site visit at the Escambia Regional Juvenile Detention Center
- A discussion with the Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association
- Home hospitality with locals
- A Saturday at the beach to process reams of new information
No two groups have the same appointments, but one thing is consistent: The legal professionals in Northwest Florida are dedicated individuals who are generous with their time and willing to assist in the citizen diplomacy mission.
