The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) launched a public awareness campaign several years ago to educate the public about how the courts work. The central effort of this campaign was to develop a series of graphic novels, called Justice Case Files, which engage the reader while giving insight into how judges make decisions, how the courts protect the public, and why courts are so important to a democratic society.
The story lines and content were developed by judges, court administrators, and other legal professionals. Two Virginia social studies teachers developed comprehensive lesson plans for each of the first three books.
Justice Case Files 4: The Case of the Broken Controller is a narrative coloring book available to download for free. Printed copies are available from the NCSC for $ .50 per copy. To order, please contact Deirdre Roesch at email@example.com.
Justice Case Files 3: The Case of Jury Duty
tells the story of Matthew Foley, an 18-year-old who has been summoned for jury duty on a case that involves underage drinking and driving. Through Matt’s story, readers learn how meaningful jury service is, how the jury system is a source of accountability for courts, and how our society benefits from the right of a jury of your peers. See lesson plans.
Justice Case Files 2: The Case of Stolen Identity
tells the story of the Garcia family, whose identity is stolen through an email phishing scam. See lesson plans.
Justice Case Files 1: The Case of Internet Piracy
tells the story of Megan, a college freshman charged with downloading music, and her grandmother who has received notice that the city plans to take her house through eminent domain. See lesson plans.
Costs for JCF 1, 2, and 3 is $1.00 per copy.To order books, send an email to firstname.lastname@example.org or call Deirdre Roesch at 757.259.1515.