Last month, Forsyth County State Court Judge Leslie Abernathy-Maddox invited Matt Elementary School’s 3rd grade class to her courtroom for Civics Day. ( Pictures in Google Drive) Because of the size of the class, the children were split into two groups. The first group met with Judge Abernathy-Maddox and she spoke to them about the judicial branch and its role in government. The students then participated in a mock trial to decide which of their teachers was “the best teacher.” The other group met with the Clerk of Court and Sherriff, who explained the duties of their respective offices. The groups then swapped places so that each group could get the same experiences.
We asked her a few questions about the program and her community involvement, beginning with why she chose third grade as the grade to host: (the video clip in the google drive)
The Judge also frequently hosts various home school groups and special needs classes for this same opportunity.