Courtroom Participants

Directions

Review pp. 216-35 in The Courts in Our Criminal Justice System. Identify five courtroom participants listed in the text between pp. 216-35. Then, describe each courtroom participant’s role you chose. Each response must be about 30 words in length.

Then, select examples from fictional portrayals of the courtroom found in books, movies, and television, for example, The Runaway Jury, A Few Good Men, or Law and Order to make a comparison between reality and fiction. Choose two of the five courtroom participants you described and compare their fictional portrayal to their real-life role in the courtroom. Be sure to cite specific examples of how media portrayals of courtroom participants are accurate or inaccurate. Use the Court TV Web site at http://www.courttv.com/home_primetime/index.html to help your research. Your response must be 100 to 150 words in length.

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Identify the Courtroom ParticipantDescribe the role of the courtroom participant in the courtroom process (about 30 words in length)
1. DefendantThis is certainly the least enthusiastic court member. Innocent until proven guilty, the defendant must endure the weight of the prosecution, or the cry for justice from the plaintiff. For minority defendants in particular, this process magnify societal stereotypes as the defendant endures the trial.
2. VictimIn some cases, technically not a “victim” until the verdict is announced, this party has traditionally been in the shadow of the rights of the defendant. From early days when a rape prosecutrix would find her chaste character on trial, to current law there is a constant struggle between the rights of the accused and the rights of the victim. Victims have gained many rights over the past several years, both from federal and state law.
3. BailiffThey are to Collect and retain unauthorized firearms from persons entering courtroom.Maintain order in courtroom during trial and guard jury from outside contact.Guard lodging of sequestered jury.Provide jury escort to restaurant and other areas outside of courtroom to prevent jury contact with public.Enforce courtroom rules of behavior and warn persons not to smoke or disturb court procedure.Report need for police or medical assistance to sheriff's office. Check courtroom for security and cleanliness and assure availability of sundry supplies for use of judge.Announce entrance of judge.Stop people from entering courtroom while judge charges jury.
4.Court clerk they are to reviews case files for cases on the court calendar; ensures that jury case files are complete for court action, obtaining missing documents as necessary; places unfiled documents in appropriate case files; checks court notices to verify if parties were notified. Makes appropriate announcements and responses to the Court regarding case files or other information as requested; records summary information on cases, such as hearing type, name of counsel and defendant, and case progress, such as motions and notices of hearing; swears in witnesses, interpreters and jurors; attends court throughout sessions; takes custody of, marks and disburses exhibits and evidence.they also Enters into minutes all trial, jury and non-jury, proceedings; records in detail both verdicts and sentencing, including specific information for subsequent preparation of court orders, detention or custody release status, disposition of cases, obtains various forms and orders needed for judge's signature.They Prepares and certifies copies orders of transportation to transport juveniles to and from areas of confinement and to transport adults from jail for dependency proceedings.They also have to Review files for accuracy and completeness; follows up on court-related documents; distributes case files to designated areas for processing; instructs typists in the completion of various court orders and reviews completed documents for proper format and accuracy of detail; transmits orders for judge's signature; researches and processes orders received from judge; provides copies of court orders to defendants; dockets documents filed in court.
5.Court reporterCourt Reporter The court reporter sits near the witness stand in the courtroom and records everything that is said during the trial (or introduced into evidence) by typing it on a stenographic machine or by making an electronic sound recording. This becomes the official record of the trial. The court reporter also produces a written transcript of the proceedings if either party appeals the case or requests a transcript. Court reporters don't work only in the courtroom. They also record depositions in attorneys' offices and some conferences in judges' chambers. I no here a great majority of court reporters use a stenotype, a machine that translates keystrokes into symbols that correspond to the spoken word.


Courtroom Participants: Fiction versus Reality

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Posted on Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:36:10 GMT at http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?...610AA0Bw3Z