Day Six, 16 March 2017

Today my mentor and I drove out to Hayward for the court case involving the woman supposedly killing her business partner. On the drive there, my mentor gave me more insight on the case, and he explained to me how the courtroom would be set up. He told me in the courthouse in Hayward, his client would be behind a glass window, rather than with him. When we arrived into the courthouse, the regular procedure began. You go through this metal detector, so we had to remove some of our items and place it on the tray. Afterwards, we find the courtroom and check the paper that is taped on the wall next to it. His case was last on the list so we waited outside the courtroom. Later it opened and we both went inside. I sat next to a couple of other lawyers in the room. From across the room, on the right of the judge's podium was the glass window my mentor had mentioned. Behind the glass window were inmates in their orange jumpsuits speaking to their lawyers. Tony Serra and my mentor spoke to their client through the window. It felt really real, seeing the client separated from the rest of the room. Their talk was brief, as security people quickly took the inmates away from the glassed off room. Afterwards the lawyers spoke to the judge and I just sat in the seats watching. It was easier for me to identify what was going on, in comparison to before. The system within this courthouse was different from the ones in San Francisco, but it still held the same purpose. After we left the courtroom, Tony Serra, my mentor, and I spoke in the hall about the state of the case. I learned the many mechanics of these kinds of cases, and all the pieces that you have to take in consideration. There's a lot to keep in mind, and its far more complicated than it may seem. Afterwards, we drove back and he told me other cases that he received.


Time logged in for this session: 3 hours
Total time logged: 22 hours