Court Observation Paper

Court Observation The courts have the function of giving the public a chance to present themselves whether to prosecute or defend themselves if any dispute against them rises. It is known to everyone that a court is a place where disputes can be settled while using the right and proper procedures. The court is also the place where a just, fair and unbiased trial can be heard so that it would not cause any disadvantage to either of the party involved in the dispute. The parties are given a chance to represent themselves or to choose to have a legal representative, which is mostly preferred by many. In the Session Court that I attended, the appearance of the court was similar to other courts that I have seen. The judge sat in the center and in the presence of everyone at the front. The interpreter sat in front of the judge and on the right hand side was the witness or victim box and to the left was where the defendant was sat. A police officer was placed on the left side of the defendant to guard the public and those present in the court. There was a divider between where the public sits with those involved with the legal proceedings. As the judge entered the room everybody stood with respect.
On September 23, 2011 around 9:30 AM a fifty-six year old male dressed in a suit and tie entered the general sessions courtroom in Spartanburg, South Carolina accompanied by a police officer and was sat in the bench for the defendant. In the courtroom there was a judge, a defendant, a defense attorney and a police officer that charged the offender. There were no victims in this case. The court proceeding began by the solicitor reading out what the defendant was charged with and the details of the court process. The defendant was charged with possession of crack cocaine, and the attorney announced the defendant was pleading to discharge the fact of possession. The judge started the process by asking the defendant some background information about his family, personal drug