I attended the District Court at 201 West Picacho Ave on March 7, 2011. I sat in on judge Mike Murphy's court. Judge Murphy started court promptly at 9:00 a.m. but before I got into the court I had to wait in a long line of about 30 people. then when I finally got to the court house door I had to go through a metal detector where I had to take off my belt and shoes and everything metal on my persons. Then I asked one of the officers working the metal dictator how I could ask to sit in on a criminal court that was going on this morning. She then directed me to court room four. I asked the bailiff if it was ok for me to sit in on court today for my criminal justice class, and if the case where criminal matters. The bailiff then told me that …show more content…

I then waited and then the bailiff came back out and let everyone in the court room, I then found a seat in the back row and began to watch the workings on the courtroom. All the defendants for the session are sworn in by the bailiff then as judge Guillory walks out the bailiff orders us to rise and when the judge is seated we all are seated. The bailiff then calls defendant to the stand which I a female by the name of Ashley G. and when asked how she pleads to the charges of DWI she says guilty.

The judges then asked her if she didn't learn her lesson the first time she was caught drinking and driving. She stays quiet for a second then reply's that it won’t happen again. Then the judge says "I hope not, because next time you may kill someone or yourself." He then gives her a choice of 30 days in jail or pays $1,000 and do house arrest. Ashley chose house arrest and the fine and the judge hand the paper to his sectary and she hand him the paper for the next case. The next case is an assault case where the defendant an 18 year old male socked another male at a party the judge sentence the defendant to be liable for medical bills resulting in any injuries that he may have cause. As well as 20 hours of community service and anger management classes.

when the judge ask the defendant why he socked the other