Overview
The purpose of causing students to review videotaped proceedings of an actual trial and write a report about their personal reactions to what they saw by comparison to what they anticipated the proceeding would be like.
You will visit and observe at least one half-day of the recorded courtroom proceedings of one of the following recorded cases below.
You will then be required to submit a two-part report on your observations--the first part will deal with the courtroom setting and what was actually observed and the second part will deal with your personal observations and reactions. SEE BELOW.
This report is expected to be prepared and presented in a scholarly manner and will be graded equally on (1) quality of presentation (including organization, spelling, layout on the page, grammar, punctuation, etc.) and (2) quality of content. All parts of the report must be written in complete sentences (not just phrases or sentence fragments).
The following things should be considered in each part of the report:
- PART I - COURTROOM SETTING
- (a) Name the court case you viewed and the date of the recornding.
- (b) Briefly (but completely) state the facts which gave rise to the proceeding you observed.
- (c) Describe in detail what phase of the litigation actually occurred while you were present.
- (d) Was there a resolution of the question before the court during the sesssion you viewed? If so, what was it?
- PART II - STUDENT OBSERVATIONS/REACTIONS
This part of the report is to include your own personal observations/reactions with regard to the courtroom
procedure. Compare your reactions to what you observed to what you anticipated the proceedings would be like. Understand that you are to include only your personal reactions. There are no right or wrong answers. You are to consider the following questions:- (a) What aspect(s) of the courtroom proceedings was/were most similar to what you expected prior to visiting? What aspect(s) was/were most different?
- (b) Does television and other media accurately portray the courtroom setting and procedure as you observed it? (c) Did the respective attorneys effectively argue their positions?
- (d) Did the judge and jury properly execute their roles? Did you feel that they clearly understood the proceeding before them? What caused you to feel that way?
- (e) Did the physical environment of the courtroom lend itself to the orderly and professional conduct of judicial matters? Comment on your reaction to the physical setting itself.
- (f) Were you affected positively or negatively by the physical appearance (manner of dress and personal hygiene) of the witnesses, the parties to the suit, the attorneys, or any other officer of the court?
- You may also include any other pertinent observations tha
- CASES:
- The People of the State of California v. Orehthal James Simpso
- The State of Florida v. Casey Marie Anthony