MacDill hosts first ever Green Dot mock trial

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jenay Randolph
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The 6th Air Mobility Wing (AMW) legal office Judge Advocates (JA) conducted the first-ever interactive Green Dot mock trial during the Let's End the Violence Green Dot Training, April 18, 2016, at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.

The Green Dot program focuses on providing tools and training through activities, open dialogue and a peer-to-peer learning style to create realistic options for preventing violent events.

"The mock trial should give Airmen a more exciting and action-filled experience to allow them to witness the consequences of reckless behavior in relation to sexual assault," said Capt. Adam Love, the chief of adverse case actions assigned to the 6th AMW legal office. "The goal is to let them see the results in order to prevent the cause, which is what the Green Dot program is about."

In the past, the legal office briefed individuals on the results of cases, but the Airmen seemed to have difficulty bridging the gap between the behaviors that caused the consequences.

The mock trial created an atmosphere to give an opportunity for individuals to view a trial from beginning to end, and ask questions during the process to clear up any confusion.

The two-hour mock trial reenacted a real-life sexual assault trial, in which the audience participated and determined the verdict. Six volunteers were chosen to make up the jury, and determined the verdict based on the mock trial before hearing the actual verdict. The goal of this event was to give Airmen a better understanding of the legal process from start to finish and the opportunity to witness firsthand all the factors that play a role in the verdict.

"I am excited to showcase our responsibilities and shed light on an important Air Force topic in hopes of preventing violence cases," expressed Airman 1st Class Holly Tipton, a paralegal and mock trial participant with the 6th AMW legal office.

Overall, the event provided a more interactive learning environment that generally gave Airmen a glance into importance of the Air Force adopting the Green Dot program in hopes of reducing the number of power-based violence cases. 

"The mock trial was very beneficial and informative for me as an Airman," said Senior Airman Takiis Thompson, a financial technician assigned to the 6th Comptroller Squadron and a voluntary member of the jury. "The question-and-answer session during the mock trial was great because it brought clarity to the process and taught me that you have to weigh all the evidence and testimonies carefully before reaching a verdict." 

For more information about the new Green Dot program, check out the article "Green Dot: preventing violence one step at a time" at http://www.macdill.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123472628