Cristyna Galarza
August 3, 2010
CJ 1010
Third District Court in Downtown Salt Lake
When the class was informed of this outside activity assignment at the beginning of this semester, I originally had wanted to go on a ride along with probation officers. From what the class had learned from the police guest speaker that we had I knew that a police ride along would most likely be mind-numbing and lackluster with little promise of excitement so I decided that going with probation officers would be more of an adventure if not so monotonous. Wanting to hear back from the probation office, I didn’t make other plans because I knew that that’s what I wanted to do for the assignment. When the probation ride alongs were no longer available, I needed a backup plan fast. So after calling the police and getting no call back about going on a ride along with them, I was forced to choose a different activity once again.
I ended up going to the Third District Court located in downtown Salt Lake on 450 South and State Street on Monday August 2, 2010 from eight thirty till mid-afternoon. When I arrived
I went to the information desk and asked if any interesting trials were going on. The sweet and very helpful worker directed me to the fourth floor to two different court rooms where on the docket it indicated that criminal cases were being looked at. Having arrived early, the courtroom was still locked and defendants and their families and a handful of public defenders were waiting outside. I leaned against the wall and observed the crowd. Everyone looked at the docket available outside the locked courtroom doors. Public defenders walked up and down the hallway, trying to find their clients, announcing names and asking for people. A police officer

was standing outside, watching the crowd like me but he was there to keep the peace.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to interview the police officer or anyone else because soon the doors were unlocked and everybody became busy.
When the doors were unlocked, the waves of waiting people poured inside and took their positions throughout the courtroom. I walked in and took a seat in the second to last row so that I’d be able to observe everything without disturbing anyone. I watched as Judge Robert
P. Faust walks in the flwing black robes and takes a seat getting things started immediately. I must admit that I was surprised that we didn’t have to rise when Judge Faust entered and sit down after he had sat down. Perhaps because on TV everyone must always rise when the judge comes into the courtroom and I just assumed that that happened in every courtroom, no matter what type of cases were being reviewed. I listened and wrote notes in my notebook but many of them were arraignments or initial appearances and trial dates being set for the defendants to come back another day.
I must say that I was impressed over the efficiency and quickness that the court moved with. Public defenders came and went, taking them outside to conference with them about their cases then returning to defend them before the judge. Three different cases went and passed before the judge in the matter of five minutes and it was surprising how quickly things happened. If I hadn’t been paying attention, I would have been lost in the happenings of the court. The courtroom work group worked without any problems or delays. It was amazing to me that we had such an advanced and competent system to carry out our justice.
I was also impressed and pleased in seeing how considerate and friendly the judge was.
He was not only friendly to the defense attorneys but also to the defendants, bailiffs, and the

other members of the courtroom. When I think of a judge I think of someone serious, aggressive and rude, someone who uses his authority and power to dominate the others. It was a splendid surprise to see that my image of a judge was thwarted and unreal.
I was interested when I found out that some defendants had missed their court dates before because I couldn’t understand how someone would want to miss their court date. Why not just get it over with and go the date that one has been given because either way, one is required to show up anyways. I was also surprised to see many different ethnicities present at the courtroom. Contrary to the belief that minority groups are the only groups who get in trouble with the law. I saw whites, Latinos, and African Americans there and it was also impressive to note that the judge didn’t treat any of them differently or harsher than the other.
It was a breath of fresh hair and this equality really made its point in one specific case that I witnessed. In this case it was a young Hispanic guy who had barely turned eighteen and he was being charged with aggravated assault due to fight that happened with someone else. I wasn’t able to get his name, but his good friend and him sat in the back row, quietly waiting for his turn to go in front of the judge. When it was his turn, the public defender asked for him to be sent to jail pointing out that he had only been eighteen for a short while and saying that it would a be mistake to send the young man to the county jail. The judge was looking over the case papers and pointed out that the young man had been arrested not once, twice, but five times for fighting and relating circumstances. The public defender acknowledged that yes his client had committed mistakes in the past but was trying to put his life back on track. The defender made points that his client was studying to get his GED, had a new job, and was changing the way he lived his life. The judge said that the young man faced up to a year in jail

but later retracted his decision and instead gave him a certain number of community service hours, ordered him to wear an electronic ankle bracelet monitor, and warned him to change who was friends with because if he returned to the court then the judge would have no mercy. I thought that the judge was reasonable because many other judges would have looked at his previous arrests and wouldn’t have given him another chance.
After being in Judge Robert P. Faust’s courtroom for two hours I decided to check out the other courtroom the secretary had mentioned that was just down the hall. Entering quietly
I took my seat and taking out my notebook, did the same thing I had been doing in the courtroom: watching and listening. The main event that happened in this courtroom of Judge
Randall Skanchy was that when the bailiff brought out the next defendant, a man in a bright yellow Salt Lake County Jail outfit with his hands handcuffed behind his back and around his waist, the instant change in energy inside the room. The energy became irritated and angry, hostile stares directed at the handcuffed man, it seemed that everyone wanted this man to be convicted with heavy charges and to be locked up and sent away. At first I didn’t understand how people could be so passionate about a case that they weren’t a part of, it wasn’t long until
I was informed on why the sudden change of energy and the reason for the hatred directed at this man. Not knowing what was going on, I whispered to a stranger sitting next to me, and asked her who he was. She relayed to me that he was a child molester named James but she wasn’t able to give me a last name. He was in protective custody she said. I was excited because this had been the first interesting case all day and I remained deadly quiet, wanting to hear what the judge said with the rest of the courtroom also silent waiting for his decision too. After learning more information on the case and listening to the public defender, the judge informed

the courtroom that the child who James had tried to molest him was his niece. Disgusted, I too hoped that he would be given the punishment that he deserved; he could be sentenced three years to life in prison. He was facing charges for attempted aggravated sexual assault and his trial was set for mid- October.
This activity has everything to do with Criminal Justice and especially with the class.
Throughout this semester, the class has been learning about the various steps and parts of a courtroom, studying the purpose of each one so going to this activity really helped to solidify that image that I already had from what I learned in class. It was interesting to see the real thing in person as it really is rather than seeing a fake version of it on TV or in movies. This is what criminal justice is; people working together to punish the offenders and to bring justice to the public and to the victim’s of the crime. Although this activity may not have been as exciting as going on a ride along, it was still educational and I’m glad that I went anyways because it did help me understand the way the courtroom works by seeing it not just reading about it. Overall, this activity and this class helped me immensely in understanding our criminal justice system and the way it works.