Schools
Burton Valley Kids Visit Contra Costa County Superior Court, Try On the Handcuffs
A bunch of steely-eyed future leaders visited a courtroom in Martinez on Tuesday and, yes, one kid had to ask if the bailiff would handcuff him.
The "Misery Parade," the morning court docket at Contra Costa County Superior Court in Martinez was well under way with the usual tales of aberrance and woe when in comes a class of well-mannered kids from Burton Valley Elementary School in Lafayette, who wanted to have a look around.
Everyone listened politely to Judge Clare Maier explain how her job works. The students asked if she'd memorized every amendment to the Constitution and questioned a deputy district attorney (do you have a badge?) and public defender — but they were really interested in all the hardware the court bailiff was packing.
"Will you handcuff me?" one of the kids asked. The bailiff demurred and reminded the class that the volunteer had done nothing wrong. Then a parent chaperon jokingly volunteered a child who he said needed to be handcuffed for "crossing the street against the light," an offense the bailiff said didn't warrant the use of handcuffs. The parent, it turned out, had volunteered his own child for the cuffing.
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"C'mon," the kids roared and finally the blushing bailiff caved in and picked a willing volunteer.
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