News  Brockton District Court Probation hosts court visit for local high school students

Brockton District Court Chief Probation Officer Michael Branch hosted a two-day court visit for students from Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School last Tuesday and Thursday.

The students, all high school juniors, sat in court and observed arraignments and pretrial sessions which were followed by Q & A sessions and the opportunity to engage with staff.

”As a community court, engagement is key and we are happy to welcome students to our courthouse to better understand the criminal justice process and to learn about our profession," said Michael Branch, Brockton District Court Chief Probation Officer.

One of the students who attended expressed appreciation in the form of a letter he wrote to Chief Probation Officer Branch.

The student stated, "I wanted to reach out to you personally and let you know that I appreciate you giving my fellow classmates and I the opportunity to experience different realms of justice first-hand at the Brockton Trial Court Field Trip on May 21st 2026. Thank you for educating us on probation office work and bringing in other guest speakers to introduce other factors of the judicial system. I left with new understandings and mindsets that I can carry with me, as you and the guest speakers gave me a lot to think about, as I enter my senior year at Southeastern. I look forward to seeing you again and thank you so much!"

In addition to engaging with Probation staff, the students also interacted with clerks, clerical staff, local detectives, court officers, and judges.

The court tour is one of many community engagement activities Brockton District Court Probation is involved with. Past activities include mock trials.