Court Proceeding Observation - Essay Example

Court Proceeding Observation Introduction The case presented before the court involved drug trafficking. The accused were being charged with counts of drug dealing in the city. There are three suspects involved in the case; two men aged 30 and 38 years and a young lady in her mid twenties. On 3rd March 2013, they were found in possession of 2kgs of marijuana in their resident. The investigations were carried out by the anti-narcotics police. They are believed to have been selling the drugs to the young youths and part of criminal gangs terrorizing the city. The three suspects before the court had been marked by the police as a dangerous gang and put in the list of wanted gangs in the city. Some of the residents questioned by the police admitted to the three being drug dealers. The court used the evidence presented before it to either hold them accountable or rule otherwise (White 120). Proceeding Ten minutes before the proceeding, the audience who are to follow the whole process took their seats in the courtroom. As one of the audience I took to the front seat in order to follow keenly and closely. At exactly 9 am we are guided into a standing ovation as the presiding judge entered the court room. Then the suspects were brought into the courtroom under a tight security (White 129). One of the clerks ordered silence. The judge requested one of the assigned clerks to read the case for the suspects to confirm their case. He proceeded to read to the suspects the democratic rights that they enjoy while in the court. The court rules were then read out to the court. That people were to remain silent during the sessions and no misconduct in the court. The suspects were asked to corporate and the lawyers to treat each other with respect. The police provided evidence they collected during their investigation and bared witness that these were the real suspects they caught. The witnesses were given time to testify. They were called one by one and questioned in detail by the prosecutor, lawyers and the suspects A plea of not guilty The accused were given the chance to prove that they are not guilty. All of them pleaded not guilty. They did not agree with the prosecutions brief facts. The court was then subjected to hear the evidence from the prosecution and the accused listened to the facts, whether to agree with them or not (White 145). After conviction, the prosecutor then notified the court of the previous crime records of the accused. He mentioned two cases which three were suspected of other counts of crime including possession of illegal weapons. After the case was confirmed, the first defense lawyer was given the chance to represent his client. During his presentation, he told the court that the suspect number one was not at the scene of crime by the time it was committed. He went further stated that his client was innocent and said that the case had no basis. He argued that the victim was mistreated and mishandled in the time of arrest (White 169). The evidence may have been choreographed by the police since the victim had been wrongfully branded “wanted”. Soon the prosecutor objected to this statement, saying that the evidence and the exhibit we enough to nail the accused. Witness number one narrated how the victims had been selling drugs to the residents. He was a neighbor of the accused had stated that he had tipped the police of these developments (White 210). Witness number two also gave the same story. She said she was a mother had could not watch while this gang was spoiling the youths with drugs. Then defense lawyer number two representing both suspect number two and three was given a chance to represent his clients. He said categorically that this was a matter of victimization. His clients were being denied rights to good services while in custody. Their rights were also violated since they were never given a chance to call and talk to their lawyers (White 267). This resulted in a heated debate in the court with the prosecutor complaining that the defense lawyers were some trying to hold the court into ransom since they wanted their terms considered. This stand still resulted in the court being adjourned for one hour as the two teams consulted on what to do next. The second session (11.00-11.55 AM) This was the most interesting session. The prosecutor looked into the evidence and the basis of the argument of the team. He said that in no case the state police could victimize the public that they vowed to protect. The use of narcotics is illegal in the country and has led to social crimes (White 356). The sale of these drugs to the young nation was also a violation of childrens rights since they were targeting teenagers who had not reached the age of consent. The prosecutor suggested that the accused had a case to answer and should face the law. The time allocated for the defense and prosecutor was up and it was time for judgment. Judgment The judge called the court in order and gave his ruling. He asked if the suspects had something to say or speak for themselves before the ruling was given out. This was to make sure that they were prepared for the ruling. He said that the case presented before the court was one of the capital offences.” Drug dealing and trafficking is a major crime affecting the state and has strict penalties”. The police did a thorough investigation and from the witnesses, the suspects were thereby found guilty. “They are then sentenced to 5 years in prison. It was given out at five minutes to noon (White 378). The judge assured them that there was room to appeal the ruling if they felt unsatisfied and doubted the judgment. Recommendations According to the crime brought before the court, it was justified to give out the ruling as stated in this paper. The accused committed a serious offence and the court acted within its jurisdiction to sentence them. The accused were treated well and their rights respected. They were given enough time to explain themselves. Security given them was adequate to protect them from the public. The court was well organized and its proceedings went as per the schedule (White 398). Those expressing themselves like the lawyers were given enough time to do so without any intimidation or biases. Time was adhered to; the case lasted for 3 hours to give time for other cases to be presided over. The security team (the police) did a commendable job by maintaining peace and order in the court. The faith that the public has on the court was quite encouraging. They were full in the court room and ready to testify against what they termed as notorious criminals. Conclusion The court system works in a systematic manner. From the time a case is brought in until judgments, there are stages a case will go through before judgment. The entire court proceeding incorporates everyone from the judges to witnesses. Before a suspect is accused of any crime, detailed evidence must be provided to prove that they are guilty. They are then given time to defend themselves or do so through their lawyers. Defense lawyers represent the accused and try to convince the court that their client is innocent. Witnesses are very important in any case (White 400). They must give consistent information if the case is to proceed. Many cases have been thrown out due to conflicting statements by the witnesses. If crime cases are ruled this way, then the courts play a big role in curbing crimes. Drug trafficking is a menace faced all over the world and the dealers are heartless people who will stop at nothing and sell them to the society. Justice did prevail in this case since the suspects will stay in jail for five years and the other criminals still at large can a lesson from this heavy penalty (White 431). Many drug lords operate at large since they have influenced the courts and they are powerful people. Having non partisan courts is advantageous to the society since no favors are given to anyone. Work Cited White, M. Australian Offshores Laws. London: Federation Press. 2009. Print. Read More