Didn’t actually get to this one until today. They don’t hold court everyday, so I kind of had to wait for them to hold the next trial. There were three to choose from, two criminal (one of which I was too late for) and one civil. I chose the civil, because it seemed like it’d be more interested (though I’m sure that’s just my personal preference). The case was apparently the second in a potential series. The Plaintiff (a satellite television company) sued a man for something regarding ‘cards’ used with their service. The judge and lawyer didn’t go into great detail, having both already discussed the case previously, but I was able to glean from a combination of what they said, and my own personal knowledge that the man had been effectively stealing cable by altering access cards to the satellite network’s encrypted stream. Piracy. The whole thing was cut a little short, however, by the fact the defendant didn’t show up to court. I’m not sure why, it wasn’t really discussed. I was impressed, however, with how professional everything still went, even with the lack of a defendant. Honestly, I was impressed with the whole affair.
Firstly, when I walk into the actual courtroom it’s just a beautifully designed room. It’s an older building, as many courthouses are, or at least designed to appear, and had some simple, yet classy wood paneling along the walls. There were high windows, and multiple chandeliers. It was all very much like a movie set from some 1940s courtroom drama. I kept expecting Jimmy Stewart to burst in demanding something or other. However, unlike a movie from the 40s, the courtroom was also full of electronic equipment. Several computer monitors sat on the desks of the defendant’s side, the plaintiff’s side, and the … whoever that woman who sits under the judge is (not the stenographer). Additionally, there were little microscope like devices I can only assume are used to highlight specific paragraphs, sentences, words, and dates of individual documents in cooperation with all the monitors. The combination of modern technology and old aesthetics was really, truly beautiful.
Second, I was deeply impressed with the judge. When the defendant didn’t show up, I half espected this to just be a case of “Oh, well, pretty much whatever the plaintiff wants then, since I guess Mr. Smith didn’t want to show up,” but it wasn’t in the slightest. The judge actually argued over wording, making sure that this case would not determine any future rulings, both because of a lack of fairness to the defendant, as well as a concern for overstepping jurisdiction and setting a potentially disastrous precedent.
I don’t know if justice was served, but it sure was fun to watch.
