HAMILTON COUNTY, Ohio — Hamilton County judges are stepping away from the bench and into the community to engage in discussions about the judicial system.
Judge Wende Cross explained that the panel discussions, called "The Bench to Block," are designed not only to educate but also to serve as a listening tour to understand the pain points the public faces within the justice system.
“To dispel any miscommunication or misperceptions about what we do,” Cross said regarding the sessions' goals.
Organizers of the discussions aim to foster open dialogue and build trust between the judicial system and the community it serves.
See more about the discussions in the video player below:
“I do believe that there is a gap between the justice that we believe we’re serving and the justice that some of the community is experiencing,” Cross said. “We want to bridge that gap and make sure that those things meet.”
The community engagement series is being hosted in collaboration with the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, Cincinnati NAACP, Community Action Agency, and the Holloman Center for Social Justice.
The tour dates are as follows:
Tuesday, June 17 from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Price Hill Recreation Center – 959 Hawthorne Avenue
Tuesday, June 24 from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Anderson Center – 7850 Five Mile Road
