March 10, 2017
Meeting different people, visiting all kinds of places, and exploring criminal justice system is always our ECS mission. Today’s experience was no different; we visited the county courthouse, which is located downtown, and listened to stories about people’s careers in the legal system. From judge to probation officer, public defenders, and district attorney. They shared ideas about their careers, and we listened to them actively and asked many good questions.
We arrived at the courthouse at around 8:20 in the morning. Students from the Law and Order ECS sat in a court with curious and exciting emotions. As I mentioned before, judge, probati on officer, public defenders, district attorney and policies gave lectures to us on by one and left lots of time for us to ask questions. The whole event lasted about four hours, and everyone appreciated to have this opportunity to talk with legal system people.
Judge Grohs emphasized a few keywords which is fair, calm and professional in her sharing. Also, she talked about defender rights, victim rights, and citizen rights. The probation officer expressed his strong ideas to help people, establish trust with them and give them opportunities to be successful. He thought the lack of education and family support are two key elements contributing to crime cycles. Two public defenders shared their typical days with us. This let us know what they actually do everyday. Moreover, they talked to us about their opinions about the relationship between crime and poverty and other social problems. In the end, the police showed us different types of handcuffs. We were surprised by the functions of these handcuffs.
Learning is not just limited to books; it is also in experience. Listening, observing, and exploring is another good way to open different “windows” during our study. Thanks for this wonderful experience today.
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