Revised copy.. hopefully it makes a bit more sense now...
I attended the ................... Courthouse on Thursday March 18, located at ................... Ave. I arrived there at 10:20 a.m. and there was about twenty people waiting in line to go through the metal detectors. They had the lines split up by gender. The police officers directed everyone through, and despite their grumpy demeanor, it was a relatively quick process. I walked to the information desk located on the main floors, center- Island. I told the employee on-duty that I was writing a paper for class and she directed me to the second floor, saying “that’s where the good cases are.” She told me that room, 201, had a case that started in 10 minutes.
When I got to the room and sat down in the back because the room was pretty packed. I observed all of the attorneys chatting and looking over files. The bailiff instructed everyone to shut off their phones. After which, he directed everyone to rise as the judge walked in. Everyone sat down as the clerk began to read off the first name. I decided to stop taking notes after I witnessed the bailiff tell someone to put their newspaper away.
It seemed like there was a large variety of cases, from petty misdemeanors to more severe felonies. I observed a number of quite interesting cases, yet it seemed like 2/3 of the cases received continuances.
One of the cases which particularly sticks out in my mind was a DUI case. The accused was a twenty something year old guy that got pulled over for improper lane use. The officer had him perform sobriety tests, yet she turned her spotlight off before having the suspect perform the tests. The lawyer called for, I believe it was 409, at which point the prosecutor and defense attorney both approached the bench. The judge then looked over the defendants file and offered a plea bargain to the defendant.
The defendant refused to blow into a breathalyzer and without the only the only other piece of possible evidence the state had a weak case. The defendant opted to accept the plea bargain, which was a fine for improper lane use and the DUI was dropped.
A few people in the courtroom accompanied their children, even though of their children were considered adults. It seemed to me, that the judge did go a bit lighter on 17-20 year olds that were accompanied