I was able to attend court on a Friday afternoon. I learned that on Fridays, at least in the
3rd District, the judges only hold scheduling conferences. Though this was not what I was hoping
as I would have loved to see a specific case, it was still great to learn more about the court
system in general. I was able to learn how a judge typically plans out their weeks as well as the
details and work that goes into carrying out a court case.
As one of the lawyers I spoke with explained, Friday afternoons are typically spent
performing scheduling conferences. Scheduling conferences are simply a time for the judge and
both the State and defendant to meet and schedule the next step in the process. This is also a
chance for the defendant to ask for release from jail before the next time that they are
expected in court. It was interesting to note how much planning goes into each account and
how many details need to be figured out along the way to a release or a conviction.
Overall, it was a very interesting experience to see a little bit more in depth of how the
court system works. Though I was expecting to see a hearing that was similar to something
often seen on TV, I felt that I learned about the less glamorous necessities of the court process.