SSP101
Jason Chester
Professor Fitch
5/29/09
Political Experience paper
“Criminal Court”
Criminal court is where the law is practiced. Judgment is rendered and people are
sentenced. Some are innocent and some are guilty but all there because they are believed to have
done a crime. This system has been in affect for many years and it will continue to be. It has
been a business of wealth for many, and had a latent effect of reducing crimes and keeping
people honest. Which ever way we look at it, the court system works for some while working
against others.
I attended an open court proceeding at the criminal court on Queens Boulevard in
Jamaica, Queens. It was a nice modern building that had an old fashion traditional court room.
Prior to entering the courtroom I was screened by security who didn’t allow me to bring any food
or drink, and then once they saw I had a badge from being an auxiliary officer, they asked to see
my ID card and then checked out my badge for authenticity. It was weird not being accepted by
fellow MOS (Member of Service) normally I would get slacker treatment but they were sterner
with me. After the long experience with the police officers I finally made it to the courtroom.
The old fashioned courtroom that had pew benches, gave me a feel I was in church not to
mention the in God we trust that was above my head the of the area the Judge was, kept staring
at me. In the Judge’s area were the judge, the District Attorney and two assistant district
attorneys, along with many Police Officers. The judge was very serious and not very hospital,
she didn’t smile or show much emotion other than rendering her verdict and sentencing the
young men.
I stayed for five different proceedings, what was interesting was three of them were for
the same crime but were done by three different types of people. Now I wasn’t mainly looking at
race to be a factor. I was more noticing how often in the new you mostly hear about black people
doing bad things. On these cases I witness a Chinese guy get three years for burglary, a white
guy get three years, and a Black guy who was already serving time for assault and he was doing
eight years prior. The other two cases I saw was a man who had violated his parole. His lawyer
was very good. This lawyer had flare. He mentioned first that his client had his family present,
which consisted of his father, mother, and sister. He also concluded that his client was sorry for
the violation and took alcohol and drug counseling to help him cope with his addictions. The
judge answered she could sympathize and then fined him a thousand dollars. This was genial to
see how the lawyer talked and used important to things to make his client appear differently that
the way he was to the court. Most of the other cases the lawyers barely spoke and the men all
took the guilty plea. I guess the evidence against them was too heavy to make them look
innocent. The last case was about a mugging and petit larceny. This young man didn’t come out
in handcuffs like the others. He walked in of the street and was waiting two benches over from
me. He was found guilty for robbing someone in the street, but his lawyer got him in to the
T.A.S.K. program, which is a program that is devised to help the young trouble youth and keep
them out of Jail.
The criminal court system shows if you’re not wealthy, don’t commit a crime because if
you don’t have the best representation money can buy, you’re better off just pleading guilty and
falling into the horror to come.