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| Source: http://www.cottrellandcottrell.com/services/wooden-judges-gavel/ |
Just like all aspiring lawyers, I want to know as much as I can about the legal arena as early as possible. The classroom is a good place for training, but nothing beats being in the battlefield. I’ve watched a lot of movies and TV shows about trials, but I know they are glamorized versions of the actual thing. So on February 5, 2018, I decided to attend a random hearing to get a feel of what it’s really like in the courtroom.
The first thing I saw when I opened the door were the detainees on the left side of the room. They were handcuffed, and they looked really bored. The room was quiet, except for the attorneys who were preparing their questions. There were only about thirty people there, including the families of the detainees and members of the BJMP. We were all waiting for the first witness to take the stand.
The case was drug-related, and the suspect was entrapped during a buy-bust operation. The first witness was a police officer who was there during the operation. A translator was seated close to the witness while the clerks prepared to take notes. I expected the clerks to use a machine of some type like they do in movies. It turns out pen and paper can do the job.
When the questioning commenced, I could barely hear anything from the back. They were almost whispering, except for the translator, whose voice was quite loud. The lawyers were seated most of the time, which was something that I did not expect. I got used to the intense scenes on television where the attorneys would get up and approach the witnesses and bombard them with questions along with theatrical hand gestures. The lawyer I saw, however, would get up only every now and then and pace along the small space beyond the bar, but these walks were very short.
The initial questions were standard, where the lawyer asked where the police officer was assigned, who his supervisor was, etc. Then came the heavier questions about how they prepared for the buy-bust operation, who their informant was, and how they entrapped the suspect. While the cross-examination was ongoing, the judge would stand and leave the room from time to time and then come back. That was surprising to me because I thought the judges weren’t allowed to leave the bench while questions are being asked.
The most interesting thing that happened was when the lawyer asked the witness if he was well. He seemed unresponsive to the questions, and the judge ordered water for him. After questioning him off the record, the witness said that he was really nervous because it was his first time on the stand. I understand him. Not all people are that confident to be the center of attention in a quiet room full of people.
As they took a short break, I left the courtroom because my brother was with me and he had a class to attend.
I can’t say for sure how I felt after that experience. Maybe I’m a little disappointed because it didn’t have the fierce atmosphere that I expected. Or perhaps I’m relieved that it was more of a friendly setting than the one I was anticipating. The only thing I’m sure of is that I’m looking forward to the day when I finally have the privilege of going beyond the bar.
It's a Ping Thing 