Atten a Criminal Trial

The public is allowed to sit in on almost all jury trials. There simply is nothing like attending a criminal or civil trial to give one a sense and perspective of our legal system - Attend a criminal trial both the good and the not so good. The court building is usually located in County Seat. Unless the trial is for a juvenile, one is allowed to walk in and observe. The court calendar is usually often posted outside the court and indicates if jury trial is scheduled.

Attending helps one understand the:

importance of juries,
seriousness of breaking the law,
Importance of hearing all evidence and of not trying individuals in the media based upon polls, limited and highly "spun" information.
importance of deciding the outcome based upon the evidence and not on personal or social-related beliefs, and
roles of the judge, the prosecutor and the defense attorney.

It has given me more respect for the system and allowed me to more clearly understand it weaknesses. It also has demystified some of the glamour associated with some major trials.