Day Two (Another Post, too!)

Today was another great day with many speakers and things to observe. I found each judge to hold many differences but at the same time many similarities. They came from very different backgrounds. One a military man with great nationalism and trust in our system and the other an engineer from Tennessee who knows the importance of respect and authority, both men had an air of professionalism and commitment to them. I had a feeling they could both be  objective when it was called for, which is something I think they both stressed and that maybe due to the recent discriminatory events in Saint Louis. They both want to uphold the laws in place and make sure that it is carried out fairly. Although today was more about observing I did walk away with some questions I’m not sure either judge would have answered. Do they see money effect the trail in anyway? Is the “so help you God” aspect of the oath an issue to those of other religions? How many kids in the detention center knew what the consequences were of their actions? I mainly wondered how both the news media and TV dramas affect the view of the legal system. I had the impression the building reflected the system with its high security, reconstruction, and grimy unexpected interiors. The rooms  were not the fancy large court rooms of TV, the lawyers were not bought, and the witnesses don’t all break down crying. The jobs of all the people we saw and spoke with today are very stressful and intense. I found that they take comfort anyway they can. The first judge found it in his trust in the system, the second judge found it in the idea that people could do anything, and the juvenile officers found it in the adoptions and the littles successes of the kids they mange. This is a system I don’t know how to fix because I think through the appeals courts things can be fixed and that it is not the courts but the laws the courts are supporting that needs change. Though higher courts have the power to change laws, most cases do not affect any change in the manner that a change in the law would. If nothing else, the personal biases that are not always left out of judgement are the roots of the main issues. There my rant is done.