Students learn about court system from special judge

On May 1, the students from St. Augustine of Canterbury middle school, Kendall Park, took a field trip to the Federal Courthouse in Newark to visit the Courtroom of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas.  

Judge Salas graciously planned a jam-packed two-hour program to educate the students on the policies of witnesses and members of the Judicial Branch. The Marshals took some of their gear, including a protective vest, ballistics helmet and shield and dressed some of the students to give them an idea what it is like to “go to work” as a U.S. Marshal.  

The Marshals also put on a canine bomb-sniffing demonstration with Canine Grover, a three-year-old black Labrador. While Grover was able to steal the hearts of the students and adults alike, he was also able to amaze his audience by tactfully identifying bomb-related substances without error. 

After the demonstration, Grover went around the courtroom to greet as many humans as he could.

The students were then given a presentation by members of the Assistant U.S. Attorneys Office and the Federal Public Defender. Both parties were informative about their roles in prosecuting and defending federal defendants. 

While their relationship in the courtroom is designed to be adversarial, the Assistant U.S. Attorneys and the Public Defender, both highlighted the immense respect they have for each other and the high-level of collegiality that exists outside the courtroom.  

One of the missing pieces that many people do not get to see in the judicial process is the pretrial work that goes on before a case makes it to the courtroom. Federal Pretrial Services are tasked with investigating and supervising defendants. 

The officers are tasked with helping the court decide if defendants should be released or detained while awaiting trial and mitigating any risk that they might pose to the public. 

Most importantly, they see that there is an equitable administration of justice. The students also heard from a Federal Probation Chief, who helps supervise offenders after they have been released from federal custody.  

The entire morning was put together under the supervision of Judge Salas. At the end of the program, Her Honor gave beautiful closing remarks and thanked the St. A’s students for being so informed about court proceedings and for their exhibited maturity. 

Her poise, grace and leadership shined through as she so eloquently exclaimed why she is so invested in representing the Federal District Court. She believes in the core values of justice that are executed through the United States Constitution and federal statutes. 

While she cannot proclaim her faith from the bench, it is beyond evident that everything Judge Salas does comes from a heart of love and a lens of her own faith journey. 

Even more important than her title as Judge, she will always first be mother to her son, Daniel Mark Anderl, who was tragically killed in July 2020 while defending his mother and father. Daniel’s memory will always live on through the works of his mother and the legislation that she and Daniel’s father, Mr. Mark Anderl, fought so hard to get passed; the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act.     

By Edward Modzelewski, principal, St. Augustine of Canterbury School.