The JUSTus for Kids program by Moms Fight Back was established to hold the justice system accountable! We’ll launch this effort first with a Court Watch team that focuses on sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence cases.
Court monitoring is a way to gather information about the courts. It includes the observation of court proceedings, as well as conducting research on individual cases, court practices, and procedures.
JUSTus for Kids Court Watch team will engage volunteers from the community to observe civil and criminal proceedings and be a presence for the parents in the courtroom.
Justice flourishes when interested citizens report, discuss or even condemn observed courtroom proceedings reminding us that the courtrooms do not belong to the judges, they belong to the people.
- Court monitoring provides data to support anecdotal evidence about what is happening in the courts.
- The presence of volunteers from the community promotes transparency in court proceedings.
- Court monitoring increases public understanding of the justice system and the unique issues surrounding sexual assault cases, child abuse, and domestic violence cases.
American’s right to due process and a public trial focus on procedural fairness or “procedural justice”
What is our Court Watch Team looking for?
- Voice: litigants are given the opportunity to tell their story;
- Respect: litigants perceive that the judge, attorneys, and court staff treat them with dignity and respect;
- Neutrality: litigants perceive that the decision-making process is unbiased and trustworthy;
- Understanding: litigants understand their rights and the decisions that are made;
- Helpfulness: litigants perceive that court actors are interested in their personal situation to the extent that the law allows.
Our volunteers are trained to be unobtrusive observers, and document both procedural and substantive information about the cases that they observe.
Would you like to join our JUSTus Court Watch Team? Contact us at hello@momsfightback.org, we’ll teach you all you need to know and you can commit to any amount of time.
Would you like our JUSTus Court Watch Team to monitor your case? Contact us at hello@momsfightback.org, we’ll see if we can help you.