Personal Narrative: My Experience With The Judicial System

Working at the Shiawassee Prosecutors Office has its advantages. One advantage is that it’s a small county where the prosecutors, defense attorneys, Judges, and staff can easily remember the names of previous defendants, as well as, each other. It has given me the opportunity to meet and work with different parts of the criminal justice system, such as, the State Police, probation, and drug court administrators.

Then we have the local court administrator; they facilitate the courts to function in a smooth way and court management. The court reporter and court clerks, the court reporter, type’s everything that is said in court, the courts want to keep accurate accounts of what is said, not only that, they used the transcripts for certain court cases as examples. Then the courts handle the courts pleas, motions and maintain a record of all the cases. All these people cross path each and every day in the courts, they ensure that all parties are being respected and that no law is being abused by either party. The only thing I would change in the handling of the data by local authorities and the prosecuting office, they should ensure that all data is obtained legally.

I observed court operations at the Plantation Key Government Center in Tavernier, Florida twice: on October 7th and November 4th. I observed Chief Circuit Judge Carlos Garcia in courtroom A. The courthouse is located in the 16th Judicial Circuit of Florida and it’s a state trial court with general jurisdiction. The first visit was cut short, in part because it was a lighter criminal day than planned, but also I was flabbergasted by the lack of professionalism that was present in this courtroom. I’m not sure if it’s a “court in Paradise” problem, or something that is observed at other courtrooms, however, I’m disappointed in what I saw. Lack of professionalism was evident during both visits from the actors and their actions in the courtroom.

With respects to personnel services, Thurston County District Court facilities continue to limit the court’s ability to best serve the citizens of Thurston County. It has been stated that “A well‐designed courthouse facility has the ability to embody the court’s essential principles of openness and fairness, providing accessibility and security while allowing the judicial process to move forward unhindered and with increased efficiency and effectiveness.” Currently, Thurston County resources are limited which requires each department to thoroughly examines and search for efficiencies. “The county has engaged in a budget freeze which has required all general fund departments to roll over 2014 budget numbers”. The District Court is entirely funded by the General

While the judicial system can be confusing for average citizens, it poses an even more insurmountable obstacle to certain groups of people, such as those who do not speak English as a first language, who cannot afford a lawyer, or who cannot leave their jobs or other commitments to spend time in court. This problem became poignantly clear to me whenever I would pass by the help center of the SF Superior Court and see lines stretched tens of people deep needing advice on how to navigate the administrative side of the legal system. Such people need to have a more accessible and efficient way of receiving help with court procedures, and I want to discover how the courts are helping or can help ameliorate this

While reading this week’s chapters one of the most promising future technologies that caught my attention and that I think that it can impact in a good way the future of the criminal justice system was the courtroom 21 project as the national standard in all courts in the United States because it will allow cases to be explained more clearly to the jury and judge and at the same time the courtroom 21 project can make the courts work more efficient which will result in cases to be solved quicker avoiding the backlogs of cases. The courtroom 21 project started in 1993 and it is located at William & Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia (William & Mary Law School). The whole purpose of the courtroom 21 project is to create and implement existing

The American court system is quite daunting and complicated. Consequently, the assistance previous available is no longer accessible resulting from budgetary issues. Therefore, strategic planning goals and management skills are essential to providing an efficient and smooth operating judicial system. Moreover, public education, access to the legal system, access to public court documents, effective management, and retention of court records are essential to successful court management. Furthermore, court managements resorted to consolidation and restructuring options to improve the

On October 21, 2014 I went to a court to listen in on some proceedings. It was pretty difficult to find one that was open to the public in this court. Many courtrooms were private or some hearings were irrelevant with what I was looking for. The bailiffs were really nice they helped guide us to the big courtroom that allowed proceedings to be heard by the public. There were some trials that we couldn’t attend because it was a more serious crime or there were juveniles involved and since they are under age we couldn’t be there for it. The courtroom I was in had a professional atmosphere to it but kind of unorganized because there were a bunch of papers all over the place and some of the inmates didn’t show up so the judge would put them to the side. Majority of the inmates being held for drugs, driving under the influence, or physical violence.

The Vista courthouse experience was very informative. The only downside to this experience was not being able to stay and watch the proceedings in department 14. I really enjoyed watching how easily department 14 flows with the high volume of people. I didn’t understand the codes they were using, which made it harder to know what people were being charged. One thing I did notice just by sitting and trying to understand the codes was the appearance of everyone. Most people looked a little dishevel and like they were part of the lower SES. Another thing I noticed was the ability to navigate the court system that people displayed. It is easy to say that many of those people were not first timers. Most of them most likely have a length criminal

On Wednesday, February 23, of 2016, from 9am to 11am, I observed a jury charge. A jury charge is a component of the jury process dedicated to instructing the jury of the law to reach a verdict. The instructions are repeated and paraphrased to prevent ambiguity by creating precision to tackle each individual jurors understanding of the law. Rather than observing other courts such as traffic or civil court, I choose to observe the Albany County Judicial Center, criminal court with Judge Herrick. Criminal courts portray a wider view of the court processes. That is, in more serious offenses the role of each member of the court is explicit. Whereas, in other courts, traffic for instance, cases are usually in and out at a rapid pace with limited interaction of court

Have you ever been to a trial or have you seen a trial on the television? Have you ever saw that group of people that were sitting in a box? Or have you ever heard someone say they have to go do jury duty? You may wondered what jury duty is. Well jury duty is service as a member of a jury in a court of law. You may say well what is a jury? A jury is a body of people sworn to give to give a verdict in a legal case on the basis of evidence submitted to them in court. In this paper we will talk about three counties and how their jury system goes. And if they don’t have one we will talk about what they do for their judicial system. Jury system makes the court’s trial easier and fair.

Hey how are you doing? My name is Sheterrica Lenard and I've been working since I was 16 years old and I have all the experience that is required for this position. I have 5 years of experience in supervising and coordinating work of other correctional officers, I also can drive passenger vehicles and trucks used to transport inmates to other institutions, courtrooms, hospitals and work sites. I counsel inmates and respond to legitimate questions, concerns, and requests. I have also participate in required job training. After being in school for 8 years, majoring inn this field, I know I meet all required standards for this position. Although not all police departments require their detectives to possess a college degree, the shift toward a

If a young person in your life has been charged with a crime, you're likely dealing with a wealth of unexpected stresses and pressures. A good starting point is to talk with local juvenile attorneys and ask some questions. Kirsten Swanson - Attorney at Law is a juvenile attorney who has been representing clients in the Juneau, Alaska, area for nearly two decades. She understands the stresses and pressures you and your family are probably facing, and she's here to give you the exceptional legal representation you need.

Large amounts of criminal and civil caseloads are pouring into our American court system, and it could lead to an “erosion of the quality of justice, the quality of services delivered by the courts and a reduction in the public trust and confidence in the judiciary” (Albers, 2013, p. 204). The role of a court administrator is very demanding because

Contrary to what may be a common public perception, jury trials are a dying breed in America. Jury trials have been declining steadily for the past thirty years. “If the trend continues, within the foreseeable future, civil jury trials in America may eventually become…extinct.” This may seem surprising because the U.S. Constitution ensures the right to a jury trial in criminal trials under the 6th Amendment and in civil trials through the 7th Amendment. The reality, however, is that parties are finding more effective, faster, and more cost-effective means of adjudicating legal disputes through alternative dispute resolution