IndexIntroductionCourtroom ObservationsReactions and AnalysisIntegrationWorks CitedIntroductionA large number of cases are brought into courtrooms every day and scheduled for the same time in different courtrooms. DUIs remain a major problem and concern for the public health and safety of others and people under the influence. As I questioned officers outside the courtroom, I asked seriously what the vast majority of cases are that they receive on a daily basis and he told me they are DUIs and DWIs. Being assigned this assignment led me to think about how everything would play out in a courtroom. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay I never even knew where the Hidalgo courthouse was, nor what it was like inside and how to get into it. As I was exiting the parking lot and crossing the street, I came across a security guard who was sitting in a chair and I was looking at the sign posted up there outside and he didn't bother to ask me if I was looking for something specific or if I needed to help. I decided to continue walking and then I was stopped by a tall man dressed in a suit and tie who looked like a lawyer and he asked me if I was lost and if I needed assistance and then he pointed me to the main entrance and told me told which court room to go to. As I was walking along the trail which is currently being educated, I saw a lot of people dressed super smart like cute suits and dresses and I thought to myself that they must work here or be lawyers. I finally made it to the front sliding door and was immediately stopped by the guards who were there, which made me feel safe because they don't let anyone in without asking where they're going or directing them through the metal detectors. I asked to put all my stuff in a bucket and asked to walk through it and then I was told to stand in a T formation so they can pass the small metal detector through my body. I was told that as it was a Friday there was only one court in the outside area which I had no idea where it was but I was escorted by one of the officers who was going down there. As I was climbing the stairs that are outside I noticed that there were many people waiting outside, some sitting on the benches that were provided there for us and others just standing. Observations in the courtroom While I was standing as well as all the other people around me, even the officer who accompanied me to that place asked me to enter the courtroom, he was entering so he could see what was happening there at that moment . It was early Friday morning, October 4, 2019 and I was still a little nervous because I wasn't really prepared to hear and see things in a courtroom since it was my first time ever in a courtroom. I asked the officer who the judge was and what courtroom it was because I didn't see the door before entering. He informed me that it was courtroom number eight and I would hear and see Judge Omar Maldonado. Judge Maldonado looked Mexican just like me and seemed super lenient and well put together. As I followed the officer assigned me to sit on the right side and I expected there to be benches but in reality they were normal chairs and as I looked around I noticed that apart from me and 4 other teenagers everyone else was adults. The classroom I was looking at was decorated with Halloween decorations and as they opened the door to the little office that was to my right, it also had Halloween decorations and was so cute. The judge hascalled four men, which I didn't do. I didn't quite understand their names because I entered just when they were already walking towards the tables where they sit with their lawyers. While I was waiting for the judge to say something, I was still taking a look all around and as I did I noticed that there were many printed signs telling us not to use our phones, not to eat or drink and not to talk while being held. the court. There was silence as the judge spoke to the defendants, but then the lawyers waiting to be next spoke to each other. For me it was very rude because even afterwards several signs were put up prohibiting speaking during the trial. they said they still do it and if anything they should be the ones enforcing the rules so people can learn from them as well as already having the knowledge that there should be no disrespect in a court hearing. There were four defendants standing in front of a judge and the judge asked them to raise their right hands. Of those four men only one was wearing the orange suit they give you in prison and he was also chained. He also had a translator but I didn't understand why because he responded to the judge in English and sometimes in Spanish, but the translator translated everything the judge said to him into Spanish, which I found very confusing. he shouted that everything they say must be the truth and nothing but the truth they all replied at the same time yes sir. After that Judge Maldonado asked each individual if they were citizens of the United States and the man who was already in prison said no and the judge then said that depending on the crime committed by the criminal, this can lead to him being deported and not being able to come. in the United States. The defendant understood what the judge told him and did not discuss what might have happened to him. The four men that were there were charged with DWI and only one of the guys that were there was issued an ankle monitor, I was a little confused as to why only him and I was told that no later than following Wednesday. it must have already been on him. That case was then dismissed and another case was brought to hearing and it involved the three teenagers who I thought were there to observe just like me, but it turned out that they had been charged with possession of marijuana in a class B misdemeanor and were they also asked to raise their right hand and swear to tell only the truth and nothing but the truth during the hearings. The three teenagers were sentenced to be held for three months and then placed on juvenile probation. Judge Maldonado reviewed the cases very quickly and did not speak loud enough for those of us sitting in the chairs to hear everything that was said. Maybe I was the only one who couldn't hear, but there was so much confusion as Judge Maldonado spoke. Reactions and Analysis As I sat there observing everything that was happening at that moment, I kept thinking to myself that what I was experiencing at this moment is what I thought would happen, I always took it for granted that courtrooms were as big as they seemed on television, but in fact I was very wrong. These courtrooms were smaller than I expected, but even though it wasn't what I expected, it was still a great experience and I was really pleased with what I learned while attending court. Judge Maldonado seemed very organized, but a little rushed in completing cases quickly. Personally I didn't like it. People who worked there or were assigned to that courtroom continued to come and go as Judge Maldonado spoke with the defendants. I found it very rude of him.