Criminal Court Reflection

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On Thursday, November 17, 2016 I went to the Watauga County Courthouse and observed a criminal court case. That day there was only thirty-five cases on the docket, so it was a less-busy day compared to most days in criminal court. For instance, the Thursday before there were one hundred sixty-three cases on the docket. Since it was going to be a quick day, I decided to arrive around 10:00pm to skip the roll call and the usual wait. I was checked in quickly, and even though the metal detector beeped on me, the officer still let me go without further checks. I could even bring my cell phone in. When I got inside, I was surprised by how fast everything went. When I walked in a trial was taking place involving a child support case. For a minute, …show more content…

I was really impressed with the way they handled everything. They did roll call and they did it in a way I have never seen before. As they went through the roster, the prosecutor asked everyone to reply if they had an attorney or not and if they did have one they should state his/her name or ask the court to appoint them one. They could also reply ‘guilty’ if they would like to plead guilty, request a new court date to come back at a later date, or comply if they had a traffic violation fee to pay or they have proof they obtained a valid driver 's license. There were so many people there for traffic violations, and it always is. After all, 44% of the contact people have with the legal system comes from traffic stops, leading to a congested court system (Corley, 240). Most of the traffic infractions were settled with a small fine, as most are settled that way. It is easier for people to go ahead and pay the fines rather than linger on in and out of court (Corley, 246). This costs more time and money than what is actually needed. The 1979 book written by Malcolm Feeley called, “The Process is the Punishment” shows us how the legal process can be more a punishment than just ‘getting it over with’. Once they stated what their intentions were and the court cleared out of everyone there for traffic infractions, the rest were made to sign affidavits and I am guessing this is so when they come back to court they can not change their minds again, thus extending the period they have until they face the

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