On March 8, 2022, Cadettes came to the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in downtown Colorado Springs for a fun, hands-on look at the criminal justice system.
Several of the office’s female leaders spoke including the homicide chief, head of the victim advocates, mediation coordinator, and an investigator. Each speaker talked about their job, how it fits into the criminal justice system, and what types of education and experience they needed to succeed in their careers. The investigator let each girl make a fingerprint and then examine it with a magnifying glass. The mediation coordinator presented a problem and the girls got to come up with a solution.
Then the girls took a fieldtrip to the El Paso County Combined Courts to meet Judge Frances Johnson and some female public defenders. Afterwards the girls got to learn about trials in small groups with some of the office’s experienced female deputy district attorneys. The girls interviewed witnesses on the stand, introduced evidence, and performed closing arguments in the office’s mock court room. The greatest highlight for our office was the impromptu cookie sale in our office lobby! We all had a great time and look forward to inviting the girls back next year.