Seniors enrolled in the Criminal Justice program at the LoGuidice Educational Center recently helped the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York celebrate its 125th anniversary.
As part of an educational outreach program to celebrate the court and its history, Jennie Alessi welcomed James (Jeb) Bobseine, an assistant United States attorney; Elliott Raimondo, corporation counsel for the cities of Jamestown and Dunkirk; and Patrick Healy, a federal judiciary employee, to her classroom.
The program, which launched in January, brings volunteer attorneys into schools to engage students and foster a greater understanding about the role of the judiciary. Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES was chosen to take part this year to mark the court’s anniversary.
During their visit to LoGuidice, the visitors discussed the First Amendment and its application to the lives of students and reviewed the life of famed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson, who grew up in Chautauqua County.
Jackson spent about 20 years as an attorney in Jamestown before going to Washington. He served in the Department of Justice as Solicitor General, Attorney General, and eventually Associate Supreme Court Justice.
Overall, the lesson at E2CCB was structured around the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1943 landmark decision in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette that addressed the constitutionality of compulsory flag salutes in schools. In a 6-3 decision delivered by Jackson, the court held that it was unconstitutional for public schools to compel students to salute the flag.
Alessi thanked Bobseine, Raimondo, and Healy for visiting her classroom and speaking to the Career & Technical Education students on the importance of the First Amendment, particularly Freedom of Speech.
“It greatly enriched classroom discussions and instigated critical thinking among my students, which is clearly an important skill in the Criminal Justice profession,” Alessi said.
