No one is happy to end up in family court. But the new Miami-Dade County Children’s Courthouse is surprisingly soothing. Light streams through multicolored windows, and children can climb on a bear statue in the building’s atrium.
A peaceful atmosphere also prevails in the courtroom of Judge Cindy Lederman, where the focus is on reducing trauma for young children caught up in the legal system. On a summer morning in Miami earlier this year, Lederman greeted a man looking to regain custody of his toddler daughter. She seemed to know the father and child well—unusual in often-overloaded family courts. The courtroom was also uncommonly crowded. A court coordinator and a psychotherapist were present, along with the usual teams of lawyers and child welfare workers.
The therapist testified that the father and daughter were making progress, and that the child’s anxiety was decreasing. Judge Lederman questioned the father. Other experts weighed in. It was clear the judge liked what she heard.
[For more of this story, written by Ada Calhoun, go to http://qz.com/551481/judges-ar...in-the-court-system/]
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