On Monday, January 23, 2006 I visited the 41-B District Court, located at 40700 Romeo Plank Road Clinton Township, MI 48038. This was my second attempt at visiting a court room; on my first trip I was sent away because the judge did not have a docket for that day. A docket is defined as a calendar of cases awaiting action in a court. Jurisdiction is what gives the courts the power to hear and apply the law to certain types of cases. District Court has original jurisdiction for the following actions; all Traffic and Ordinance violations, all criminal misdemeanors, preliminary exams on felonies, small claims suits, civil lawsuits (amounts up to $25,000), and all contract disputes between tenants and landlords. When I arrived there were a lot of people waiting and I noticed signs posted on the court room doors that stated "Do not to enter until your name is called".
A court room in District Court of Helsinki, Finlan...
English: U.S. District Court judge Bland Ballard
Dhaka District Judge Court Building partial 003Although I know court rooms are generally open to the public, I did not want to be intrusive so I waited patiently in the Traffic/Cashier line hoping someone would be able to assist me. Soon, someone escorted me into the court room of Judge Sebastian Lucido. I looked around and tried to get familiar with the surrounding seeing as how this was my first time being in a court room. I quickly learned that the docket schedule to be heard were criminal and traffic cases. There were a few people waiting on the bench-seats, some by themselves and others with their attorneys and a few people sitting in the jury box with dark blue jail uniforms on. I took my seat, adjusted my eyes and ears, and began to feverishly take notes.
The case to be heard by the judge was People V. Leo Destephano. Leo was a...