2020 State of the Court Report

locally in Southern California. In response, SBSC and its Community Outreach Committee were compelled to address bias and racism in a public forum with justice leaders in San Bernardino County. On July 30 and September 17, 2020 judicial officers, elected officials, community partners, and local justice partners from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, District Attorney’s Office, Office of the Public Defender, and Health and Human Services spoke about challenges facing our community, ideas on how to address racism, and answered live questions and concerns received directly from

the public. Additionally, SBSC formed a new internal committee in 2020, called the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. This committee is focused on building strengths in order to ensure our culture is one of understanding and inclusion– valuing of differences while leveraging and promoting strength of a diverse workforce. Though most public schools in California were closed to in-person instruction, SBSC participated as one of only eight pilot courts statewide in a series called ‘Judges in the Remote Classroom.’ A partnership with the

California Department of Education, judicial officers covered historical cases selected by the teachers themselves. On December 17, newly appointed Judge, Joseph B. Widman, taught fifth grade students from Sultana Sports and Science Academy on the Salem Witch Trials. During the lesson, Judge Widman worked with students to identify and explain the three branches of government with focus on the Judicial Branch. Students then compared and contrasted the historical court case with the Bill of Rights. Finally, students applied and analyzed the Bill of Rights with focus on Amendments 6 and 7.

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