To celebrate Constitution Day, judges from across Georgia shared their perspectives on some of the most common questions students have about the Constitution, civic responsibility, and the role of the courts. Their responses highlight how the Constitution shapes our government, protects our rights, and remains vital to everyday life.
The questions featured in this Constitution Day series were submitted by award‑winning Georgia social studies teachers and their students. Teacher Aidan Blackwell of LaGrange High School, the 2025 Recipient of the Georgia Council of the Social Studies’ Civil Rights/Civil Liberties Excellence in Teaching Award, provided questions from his 11th and 12th grade IB History of the Americas and AP U.S. History classes. Additional questions were submitted by Teacher Da’Nall Wilmer of Woodward Academy, the 2023 Recipient of the same award, whose middle school students contributed thoughtful inquiries about constitutional principles and civic life.
Judge Elizabeth Gobeil, Court of Appeals of Georgia
The Constitution created three branches of government with checks and balances. Why is it important that no single branch has too much power?
Because humans aren’t perfect, and too much power in one branch jeopardizes individual liberty and can lead to tyranny — exactly what the Framers were trying to escape and guard against. As James Madison said in The Federalist 47, “The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.”
Presiding Judges Stephen Dillard and Sarah Doyle, Court of Appeals of Georgia
Judge Robert Wolf, Fulton County State Court
Which constitutional right should students understand the most, and why?
“…the constitutional right to a jury trial in criminal and civil cases is important… The most important decisions made at the courthouse are made by a group we call a ‘jury of your peers.’”
How does the Constitution influence the decisions you make as a judge?
“The Constitution is my rule book. I’m like an umpire in a baseball game calling balls and strikes. I make sure both sides play by the rules explained in the Constitution. I don’t root for either team.”
The Constitution created three branches of government with checks and balances. Why is it important that no single branch has too much power?
“The Constitution can’t protect your rights if one branch of government has too much power. Think of it like a 3‑legged stool… It can’t stand unless all 3 legs work together.”
If you could give middle school students one piece of advice about being informed and responsible citizens, what would it be?
“You are an important part of our society… Being informed now gives you the power to shape what the world looks like when you grow up… ‘with great power comes great responsibility.’ The Constitution has survived so long only because each generation fights to protect it.”
Judge Janelle Johnson, Troup County Juvenile Court
Should Supreme Court Justices serve for life?
“…to ensure that Justices are not swayed by the pressures of being re‑selected every few years, they can simply focus on their duties… Their views of certain issues change over the years due to their increased knowledge and developing insight…”
Is the Constitution supposed to reflect the intentions of the people who wrote it or the needs of the people living under it today?
“…if the Constitution only reflected the intentions of the people that wrote it, I certainly would not be in the position that I am today… The original ideas of the Constitution still hold true… but there are certainly things… that illustrate the necessity for the Constitution to serve the needs of the people currently living under it.”
Judge Frank O’Connell of the Georgia Tax Court
The Constitution was written more than 200 years ago. What makes it still relevant to the lives of young people today?
“The US Constitution was written 239 years ago in what seems like a very different time. The authors of the great American experiment in political freedom knew, however, that the freedom that was obtained at great sacrifice would not last without a radically different political system. The principle of the separation of powers underlying the Constitution is not just an interesting bit of history from the Colonial Period. Almost every day today there is a news story where Members of Congress accuse the President of exceeding his Constitutional authority, or the President believes the judiciary is going beyond their Constitutional role of interpreting the law by creating new law – ‘legislating from the bench.’ Not to mention the several editorials where opinion writers have criticized the legislative branch for allowing the executive branch to usurp their authority. Young people therefore need to know the Constitution not just as an historical document, but as THE living guarantor of their political freedom. They should form opinions and discuss with their friends whether politicians and judges are in fact being faithful to their Constitutional roles. And if young people believe they are not heard, they should exercise their Constitutional rights of free speech, assembly, and the right to vote!”
