North County kids are learning what its like to do time. Or, at least one day.
The Youth in Court program teaches students about the state’s judicial system and get a revealing look at how the law really works, including what criminal defense attorneys tick.
Attorney Steven Feldman represented now-convicted killer David Westerfield in one of San Diego’s most high profile cases in recent memory. Although many people wonder why attorneys would choose to represent defendants, Feldman said it’s all about protecting the Constitution and civil rights.
Youth in Court is brimming over with students who want to attend. The program is not only popular but the American Bar Association acclaimed the program as one of the best outreach programs in the country in 2005. Its creator—Superior Court Judge Joan Weber told the North County Times that the program is irreplaceable.
“We consider this to be one of the most unique outreach programs in the state,” she said.
Even though it was a field trip, students did not get a free pass for the day. There were some sobering moments in the North County Courthouse that day. Guest speaker Azim Khamisa told the crowd of 1,100 the story of how he lost his then 20-year-old son to senseless gang violence in 1995.
His killer, Tony Hicks was only 14-years-old. He was, at the time, the youngest person in the state charged with murder as an adult.
Astonishingly, the story of the Khamisa family and Hicks’ family speaks to the potential for goodness in the human heart. Azim Khamisa and Hicks’ grandfather and guardian Ples Felix joined together to create TKF, a foundation dedicated to working against gang violence. TKF are the initials of the full-time college student and pizza delivery driver who died too soon.
As Azim Khamisa spoke, his words did not fall on deaf ears. Tears fell down student Amanda Beasley’s cheeks as she listened.
When he told the audience how he had visited Hicks in prison and forgave him for his son’s death, it touched Beasley especially. Her aunt had been killed only the summer before by a man she had been dating. She told the North County Times that she had a hard time knowing what to feel in the wake of her death.
“I feel confused,” she told the paper. “I’m glad they are able to forgive. I wish I knew how to do that.”
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