What is justice, and how do courts make sure laws are fair? The Kids Crew talks with Maria Martinez-Sanchez from ACLU New Mexico to learn how the judicial system works, from local courts to the Supreme Court. We also explore tribal justice systems with Chief Justice Rosanna Toya, who explains how Native American nations have their own courts and laws. Join us as we discover how justice is served in different ways across the United States!

What is justice, and why is it important? In this episode of The Children’s Hour, the Kids Crew explores what justice means and how the courts help make sure laws are fair for everyone.

Our first guest, Maria Martinez-Sanchez, is a lawyer from ACLU New Mexico. She teaches us about the three branches of government and how they work together to make and enforce laws. We learn that there are different kinds of courts, from small local courts to the biggest court in the country, the U.S. Supreme Court. Maria explains how courts handle both criminal cases (when someone is accused of breaking the law) and civil cases (when people have a disagreement that needs to be solved).

Maria also helps us understand how a trial works. She talks about how juries decide cases, how judges make sure everything is fair, and how people can appeal if they think a court made a mistake. We hear about important court cases in history, like Brown v. Board of Education, which made it illegal to separate students in schools based on their skin color. The Kids Crew asks Maria lots of questions about laws, fairness, and how courts protect our rights.

The Lady of Justice comes from ancient times and represents fairness, truth, and law. Her origins go back to the Egyptian goddess Ma’at, who stood for truth and order, and the Greek goddess Themis, who represented divine law and justice. Themis was often shown holding scales and sometimes a sword. The Romans later adopted this idea and called her Justitia (or Justice), adding the blindfold to symbolize fairness without bias.

Over time, the Lady of Justice became an important symbol for courts and legal systems around the world. Her scales represent balance and fairness, her sword stands for the power of law, and her blindfold reminds us that justice should be given equally to all, without favoritism. Today, statues of her can be seen in courthouses, reminding people that laws are meant to protect and serve everyone fairly.

But did you know that the United States actually has another system of justice? Native American tribes have their own tribal courts, which work separately from state and federal courts. Our second guest, Chief Justice Rosanna Toya, helps us understand how tribal courts work. She explains that every tribe has its own way of handling justice—some use a system similar to the U.S. government, while others follow traditional laws passed down for generations.

Chief Justice Toya tells us how tribal courts handle problems in their communities, like arguments between neighbors or bigger cases that affect the whole tribe. She explains why it’s important for Native American nations to have their own laws and judges, so they can protect their traditions while keeping people safe and treated fairly.

This episode of The Children’s Hour takes listeners on a journey to understand what justice is, how courts work, and why different justice systems exist in the U.S.

This episode was produced by Katie Stone with production help from Sarah Gabrielli and Thaniel Lentz. Many thanks to the ACLU-NM Legal Director Maria Martinez Sanchez, and to Chief Justice Roshanna Toya for being with us on the show.

The Children’s Hour is a production of The Children’s Hour Inc., a New Mexico-based nonprofit. Our show is distributed by Native Voice One: The Native American Radio Network.

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