Courtroom Reflection Paper

Learning about the legal environment in the classroom setting can be very interesting and exciting, but seeing a court in action is an entirely new learning experience. During my time spent at the Superior Court of Tolland at Rockville, I had the opportunity to observe multiple components of various court cases. Three cases that specifically stuck out to me were a criminal arraignment, jury selection, and a landlord/tenant dispute. Each of these cases had different elements that allowed me to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the United States legal system. The first case I witnessed was a domestic violence arraignment. When I entered the courtroom, the previous case was just beginning to conclude. I was very surprised at the routine nature of the hearings; defendants and legal advisors seemed to cycle in and out of the room and the benches, with little disruption. Unlike some television programs that depict major celebrations or periods of despair following a verdict/hearing, I found the process of going through cases to be fairly nondescript. Defendants were …show more content…
After my experience, I found that what we talk about in class seems to make more sense to me. My previously held speculation of television courtroom settings has been confirmed as a dramatized recreation, and I feel more comfortable now that I better understand how the legal system works. Another aspect of the experience I really enjoyed was being able to see components of law that we learned about in class within each case. Initially, I was not incredibly excited to dedicated a morning to observing court cases, but I ended up finding myself disappointed when the court adjourned for lunch. Now that I know what a typically courtroom setting really is like, I would not be surprised if I were to return to the courthouse, just to watch and continue to