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by Al_Naipo from OC

Last Post 7 hours Ago


Justice At Work
Jun 5, 2008 | 1:14 AM
Category: News
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    Ever had to appear in court? Go before a judge? Recently, I spent a morning observing court proceedings in L.A. Superior Court, mostly misdemeanors and infractions. You'd be surprised what goes on in there. Not the nature of the cases themselves, but how they're conducted and how the defendants react.
    I saw one guy who needed to make some sort of restitution. He'd been there several times only because he kept forgetting who to pay or didn't bring enough money. This time was no exception. He was short by fifty cents. Luckily he had a buck in his pocket or he'd be making a return trip. He was quite jovial, joking with the judge, who kept things light and even laughed at his jokes. No one said these proceedings had to be dull and mundane.
    I also noticed that if you're a first timer and don't know a lot about your rights or the law, you can become easily confused and it might cost you...money and/or your freedom! Court is not the place where you learn about your rights or what to do. The judge that I observed wasn't about to instruct defendants on the law or answer a lot of questions.
    I'm no lawyer, but here's some things I think might help if you have to go before a judge. First, do your homework. Know what you're accused of, the penalties you might face and what you might expect during your appearance.
    It seems many folks appearing for infractions and some misdemeanors do so without having an attorney. For the most part, that might not be a bad thing. However, it depends on the violation.
If a discrepancy arises in court or you are confused to the point you don't know how to plead or what to do and you can't seem to get an adequate answer, you might consider requesting a continuance. That way, you'll have time to figure out what to do.
    Oh..and don't wait until the last minute to show up in court. A lot of ticketable offenses give you time to appear. Waiting until the last day doesn't give you a lot of leeway in case you can't make it. By all means, notify the court if you can't. I saw one judge issue bench warrant after bench warrant AND either increase the bail or revoke it altogether.
    For the best advice on what to do in court, consult an attorney.
    If you've never been to court, as a defendant or an observer, I would suggest you sit in and watch your judicial system at work. It's an eye opening experience and as a member of the public, you are entitled to view the proceedings without having a connection to what's going on. Be sure to turn off your cellphones and refrain from talking, especially to the defendants and court officers.
    Go ahead..who knows..you might learn something and even find it quite amusing.
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Member Comments Total Comments: 3
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marv read my blog view my photos
Jun 11, 2008 | 10:50 AM

Al, you might look deeper into how prosecutor's operate. my complaint is that i feel all the cards (evidence) ought to be turned face up so the jurors can see the whole story. if the government knows its witness is a liar, the government ought to provide this willingly to the defense and to the jurors. i saw a prosecutor almost crying one day when a jury verdicted not guilty. the court reporter later told me that the governement's chrages drug dealing and weapons violations were defended with the help of a highly paid lawyer. the reporter asked me how the defendant could possibly afford such a high-profile (TV employed talker at times) without having profits of drug dealing. now that i re-consider what happened, i ask where the IRS is and that the District Atty's Office notify the IRS.
naykidd read my blog
Jun 16, 2008 | 11:14 AM

no such thing as a justice system. only a bad legal system.
naykidd read my blog
Jun 16, 2008 | 11:23 AM

cops don't solve crimes. cops come up with stories that explain crimes.if the legal system can convince a jury that their story is what happened. then some sucker is going to jail, guilty or not.
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Al_Naipo

The OC's my beat for FOX 11 News. But you can catch me covering just about any story, any place, any time. Have news, will travel! I've been doing that here at Fox 11 for 15 years, traveling coast to coast and south of the border. You never know what you might do or where you might end up and your assignment could change from one minute to the next. To me, that's what being a reporter is all about. And it's pretty cool working in an area where I was born and raised. Yep, I'm a native Angeleno and proud of it!! In case you're wondering, Naipo is Hawaiian, the short version of the 21-letter ancestral name, Naipoikamanaihookaahi....
Good luck on the pronunciation.

Member Since: 7/4/2006


 

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