Political Science Advance

POLS 3313 – Judicial Process Fall 2017

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Court Observation Analysis

You will observe two different kinds of courtroom proceedings and each submit an argumentative essay,

6-7 pages in length (excluding Works Cited), that describe the interactions and process which occur in

each, compare the courtroom activities, and analyze them using the readings from the course. While you

are all capable of completing this assignment individually, visiting the courts in small groups enables you

to share the experiences as well as to feel less abashed at asking questions. Once groups are formed, I can

assist you in determining which combination you plan to attend (e.g., criminal v. civil, trial v. appellate,

municipal court v. county court).

In Beaumont, you have a choice of federal district courts, state appellate courts, state district courts,

county courts, and municipal courts. The federal district court and state appellate courts hold hearings at

irregular hours. While you can count on the state district courts and some justice courts meeting regularly

during regular business hours Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. through the early afternoon, you

should confirm the courts’ calendars before you go.

In choosing your two courts, think about how you will construct your paper. A federal criminal

proceeding contrasted with a state criminal proceeding is a more focused paper than comparing a federal

civil trial with a magistrate's criminal intake court (where a defendant makes the first appearance in all

criminal and traffic proceedings). You should observe each of these courtrooms for a minimum of two

hours.

Take a notepad and make detailed notes of your observations. You will also find that many judges and

prosecutors will ask you why you are there – if you tell them that it's a class project they will often take

additional time to speak with you about the proceedings. Keep note of everyone with whom you speak as

well as their role.

Court Links:

Municipal Court of Beaumont: http://www.cityofbeaumont.com/finance_municourt.htm

Jefferson County – County Courts:

 County Court at Law No. 1, County Court at Law No. 2, County Court at Law No. 3

Jefferson County – District Courts: http://co.jefferson.tx.us/distcrts/dcourts_home.htm

Ninth Court of Appeals of Texas: http://www.9thcoa.courts.state.tx.us/

 To locate docket, click on the "Case Submissions" link (located on the far right side of screen under "Case Information"). Oral arguments occur about once or twice a month so plan

accordingly. Court begins at 9 a.m. on the 3rd floor and each case lasts about an hour.

United States District Court – Eastern District of Texas:

http://www.txed.uscourts.gov/page1.shtml?location=info:division&division=beaumont

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Organization: Writing and organization are important. Your introductory paragraph should include an argumentative thesis statement where you are expected to take a position or develop a claim. This assignment calls for

an amount of analysis equal to the amount of description of the proceedings. In a sense, you are also

there to test our classroom work against reality. Use the introduction to focus your courtroom

observations and indicate your conclusions about the operation of the judicial system to your reader. Your

concluding paragraph should sum up those observations and bring together your analysis. Please don't tell

me how educational or fun the experience has been.

Establish setting - date, place, judge's name, nature of business (civil trial, criminal arraignments, etc.). If

observing criminal proceedings list, and describe the charges, and whether there are dispositions while

you are observing the penalties. If observing civil hearings, describe the damages sought and subject of

the disputes. Remember to cite parenthetically and reference all of your sources.

When describing the proceedings, avoid a strictly chronological approach. "First, then, after that, and

then, and after that, consequently, Following this, Thirdly ..." It is truly painful to read and does not lend

itself to thoughtful reflection. Organize your paper around types of behavior which you observe (i.e.,

How did the attorneys address the judge? How did defendants or witnesses conduct themselves?).

Compare what we have done in class with what you observe. How similar were our readings and

lecture to the courtroom experience? Which readings/lectures were closest or most dissimilar from your

experience?

Be respectful of proceedings and avoid personal commentary that does not contribute to a proper analysis.

I do not care for comments about the "prosecutor's cheap suit" or how "drunk" the defendant appeared

(unless it is relevant to the proceedings). The effectiveness and demeanor of the parties, their attorneys,

and the judge are proper subjects for comment, their hair or dress is not.

Finally, enjoy your visit to court. While obligatory, this is one of the least painful ways to observe the

judicial system in action.

Format: Your 6-7-page paper (excluding Works Cited) (double-spaced, 1” margins, 12 point Times New Roman

font) should follow the five-paragraph essay structure1 and should be written in a consciously chosen and

approved style (APSA, APA, MLA), while observing the rules of correct spelling and sentence structure.

Papers are due via SafeAssign in Lu Learn by 9:00 a.m., Tuesday, December 5th, 2017. I will not

accept assignments sent via email, paper copies, or late assignments.

PLEASE NOTE: SafeAssign restricts submissions to specific file formats such as PDF, DOC, DOCX,

ODT, and RTF. You will need to confirm that your document is one of the acceptable file formats listed

on the file upload screen. Note: If using the Apple software Pages, the document will need to be exported

as a .doc file before uploading to SafeAssign.

Academic Honesty:

In completing this assignment, you personally are expected to observe at least 2 different courtroom

proceedings. Because of the specific nature of the assignment, you may not use other proceedings you've

observed before that time. In addition, you may not rely on other people's descriptions of what went on in

court, or the edited versions of courtroom proceedings that are available online. I expect the observation

1 A five paragraph essay structure guide is located via the ‘Writing Assignment Links and Resources’ link in

Blackboard Learn.

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and the paper to be entirely your own work. Failure to fulfill any of these conditions constitutes academic

dishonesty. Any student who is found guilty of academic dishonesty in this course will fail

the assignment and the course itself.

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