CVRockhill | 19 June, 2008 00:17
I like my
job, so I'm very much enjoying what I'm doing and I've really liked
getting to experience a different style of justice system. The system
is of course American, and the "innocent until proven guilty" theory
still operates, but little details are different, like how the court room is set up, and how juries are selected.
Today,
I watched jury selection for the first time. 60 people were brought in
and sat down throughout the Court room. The Judge, the both councils
asked questions, and after a little over 2 hours 12 men and women (with
an alternate) had been chosen to be the jury. As the jury was walking
in, I found myself choosing my own jury, and what I would have chosen
would have been very different than who was actually chosen, but since
I'm only a clerk, what I think doesn't really matter. I'll be
interested to see what the verdict ends up being, though based on the
jury, I can make a prediction.
Jury selection was interesting to
me, because after the challenges for cause the panel was selected via
pulling names out of a contraption that looks like what you'd pull
bingo balls out of, but solid wood. So the first 12 were seated, all
looking rather disgruntled at being among the 12, and the two sides
were able to dismiss the jurors they didn't want for whatever reason.
After all was said and done the 13 rather disgruntled looking people
were given initial instructions and sent home for the day. Trial will
begin either tomorrow (Friday) or Monday.
I've never watched a
trial from start to finish. I'm sure over the course of my career I
will watch one or two start to finish, but I'm glad for my first I can
just sit back and I'm not expected to do much. The timing of the trial
is also very good for me. Yesterday I took my seventh D&O (Decision
and Order) to the Judge. When I arrived he told me he expected 1 a
week. I'm here for 7 weeks, so he wanted 7. When I told him I'd
finished number 7. He
then promptly handed me a file and said "you'll enjoy this" then
dismissed me from his office so he could get ready for court.
The
file he handed me is my first time dealing with a pro se party (a
person representing themselves). I would like to tell everyone reading
this who is not a lawyer to never, ever, represent yourself.
Representing yourself is a bad idea. You may well be a very smart
person, but there are trained professionals who know enough about
what's going on so you don't waste the court's time by writing a 30
page answer that says absolutely nothing and uses archaic law that no
one other than Professor Kent actually likes. [After the D&O is
published I'll explain why Professor Kent was the proper person to
reference there rather than someone who's class I've actually taken,
but most people who've had, know of, or are Professor Kent, will probably be
able to figure out the reference.]
Well, I think that's enough of the nerdy law student stuff.
Cara
cararockhill.blogspot.com
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