«Back to News & Media
'Judge as educator' takes criminal presentation to community club
Rotary Club during her presentation.
On a recent morning in Jefferson City, an individual stood before a judge and entered a plea of guilty. In and of itself, this was hardly a noteworthy event. What makes this case unique is that it took place in a supermarket rather than a courthouse, the judge involved was Patricia Breckenridge of the Supreme Court of Missouri, and the person who "pleaded guilty" got in his car and drove away that morning.
These events were part of a mock criminal procedure presentation by Judge Breckenridge to members of the Rotary Club. In the interactive program, Judge Breckenridge took a mock guilty plea from a member of the club, then posed the questions and provided the information that would be involved in an actual guilty plea. Two club members served as defense attorney and prosecutor. The other members not only watched and posed questions but also were provided with materials to help them to assess whether the plea was taken in a constitutional manner.
The presentation was designed by the Supreme Court of Missouri's civic education committee and to illustrate the important role of judges in taking guilty pleas. It is one of many presentations under development by the committee for judges to use to help Missourians learn about the judiciary’s vital role in our constitutional system of government and the importance of fair and impartial courts in our society.
Two committee members – Judge Gary Oxenhandler of the 13th Judicial Circuit (Boone and Callaway counties) and Judge Gary Lynch of the Missouri Court of Appeals – helped create this presentation. Judge Oxenhandler said he was inspired by the aftermath of an actual case in which a high-profile defendant pleaded guilty and then made a number of inaccurate and well-publicized statements about the process, raising questions about whether he was actually guilty of the offense.
"He was giving the wrong impression of a plea hearing, suggesting that you just walk into the courtroom and say 'I did it,' and that was it," Judge Oxenhandler said. "In light of the fact that so many cases are resolved by plea and in light of this defendant's comments, the guilty plea presentation was born."
Judge Lynch said it is important for people to understand that the judge ensures the plea is made knowingly and voluntarily by a defendant who is, in fact, guilty: "It is our hope that audiences walk away from our felony guilty plea presentation with not only a new understanding of the complex legal issues involved in a guilty plea, but, more importantly, a new appreciation for the vital and indispensable role judges play in protecting and preserving everyone’s constitutional rights when dealing with our government."
Reaction to the presentation was positive. Rotary Club President Bill Cowell said, "I found it very informative to actually see the inner-workings of the court."
Local attorney and club member Rob Trowbridge said, "I felt like it provided a valuable insight into an important part of the judicial process. … It was a unique presentation, and I was not sure how it would come across to the club. Judge Breckenridge pulled it off in a smooth fashion."
Once presentations are developed, the civic education committee selects judges to pilot them and offer their suggestions for making the programs even more effective. A number of judges had piloted the "guilty plea" presentation before Judge Breckenridge, the committee’s chair, presented it to the Jefferson City Rotary Club.
"Making the presentation allowed me to see firsthand the reaction of the audience and to gauge the effectiveness of what we created," Breckenridge said. "Plus, it is very rewarding to interact with the members of the community in this fashion."
Trowbridge was enthusiastic about the larger objective of the civic education committee: "It's a great idea to have judges educate and inform the public about the judicial system and the challenges they face."
For more information about the activities of the Supreme Court of Missouri’s Committee on Civic Education, please visit News & Media.
