Field Trip Review - Assignment Example

Field Trip Review In this assignment I choose to write about my observations during a court room visit within my locality. These follows from an earlier visit as required by the course, I have to acknowledge that the visit was enlightening having not attended any court session before hand. The visit was also an experience which enabled me to conceptualize a number of concepts and references learnt and made in class. Besides the educational function, the social aspect of the field trip was also superb given the chance to interact with court attendees as well as other individuals with specialized roles. These included the attorneys, the jurists and a number of regular court attendees who had a far much better understanding of the court proceedings. These individuals helped enlighten me further on the functioning of our courts as well as sensitize me on a number of court terms that I found a bit difficult to comprehend. In totality, the whole experience had a great social and educational impact. This has since left me with a perfect understanding of our justice administration constituents. The court attended was a Vista Court and the sitting judge was Harry M. Elias. I arrived about an hour before the court session started; at least this allowed me to observe the court setting before it was fully occupied. It took a while to access the courtroom as we had to undergo a reasonable check; this was understandable given the random cases of insecurity. As I later noticed, this was also in conformance with the court rules which among other things sought to ensure the safety of those attending the sessions (Richardson, 2008). As I later understood, in the past there were instances of court room shoot outs thus the measures to avert such occurrences were welcome by most of those attending these sessions. On entry, the first thing that I recognized was the judge’s bench which was raised in a similar manner to a church’s altar. This created for a perfect sight of the judge who is the main player within the courtroom. Behind the judge’s desk there was the seal of jurisdiction and state’s flag both hang aloft the judge’s seat. In the same level but on the adjacent side are the witness stand and sections where the court clerk and the court reporter sit. This section, comprising the judge’s desk, the reporter’s and the clerk’s section is secluded from the rest of the court. The partition was made by a metal bar which is not strictly a permanent partition probably suggesting that this maybe only for demarcation to guide the courtroom’s sitting. Another identifiable position was on one of the walls, this I later came to understand was for the court’s bailiff whose main function is to maintain order during court proceedings. Immediately after the demarcation bar there were three tables, these I later came to understand were ser aside for the plaintiff, the defendant and their court representatives mostly their attorneys. On the left side of the defendant’s and the plaintiff’s tables was a number of seats neatly arranged in two rows. These were set aside for the jury; however, these were not occupied during the particular session I attended. As I later got to understand, the jury is not always supposed to be present it is only selected to sit in and helps in deciding serious cases. Even in such cases, they do not make the final decision on the defendant’s fate rather they just help in deciding his innocence. The other significant area as I gathered from the regular attendees was the well, this was the space between the plaintiff’s and defendant’s table and the bench. This is set aside for the court clerk and court reporters, the area maybe accessed by any other court employees with adequate reason (Laster, King & Breckweg, 2000). Any other person’s use of the space apart from the counsel and court employees is considered disrespect for the court and may lead to dismissal from the court session. This utmost level of respect for the well was evident throughout the sessions, any papers that needed to be passed on to the judge or received from the judge was done through the court’s clerk or bailiff. These two individual’s played the role of intermediaries between the judge and the counsel and any attorney seeking to traverse the well during trial was required to seek the court’s permission (Richardson, 2008). The public was allowed to seat at the back, behind the jury and the counsel’s table, this section is referred to as the gallery, in my case the seating area was lined with pews. Besides the court setting, the counsel’s participation and the intervention of the judge was also informing to watch and listen. The counsel took much of the time, they were involved in the questioning of witnesses with each of them seeking to explain their position and proving their assertions. At times, the accusations and assertions made by the counsel members was so heated up that the judge was frequently forced to intervene. The intensity of these debates was the most captivating thing of the entire court session. The intellect with which each of the counsel fronted their arguments was also greatly informing, even though the jargon sometimes left me stranded. Lastly, it was captivating to witness the meticulous planning put into organizing the court sessions. Prior to this field study, I was unaware of the great detail required to have the court sessions proceeding smoothly. Other important considerations were the well elaborated rules at the court’s entrance. These provided a perfect head start for court attendees who were from that point on aware of what was expected of them through out the court sessions. The rules mainly outline what individuals were not expected to carry into the court room; these included weapons, food and beverages. Children were not also permitted into the court room; the rules also highlighted the importance of respect and denoted by proper communication, clear communication and avoidance of profanity (Neubauer, 2011). Lastly, the rules required that court session attendees dress decently. References Laster, K., King, J., & Breckweg, K. (2000). The drama of the courtroom. Leichhardt: Federation Press. Neubauer, D. W. (2011). Americas courts and the criminal justice system. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Richardson, C. (2008). Symbolism in the Courtroom: An Examination of the Influence of Non-verbal Cues in a District Court Setting on Juror Ability to Focus on the Evidence. 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