Reflection -- 1

 Four Things I have Learned From My Recent Observations


1) Procedure often decides the outcome

        I have seen that around half of what happens is timing and understanding of the situation. These are like very stacked 9:00 schedules, continuance requests, and dismissals. The judges I have watched tend to reset a process when one of the parties misunderstood something. We saw this when a judged reset after a defendant appeared on a day where the plaintiff expected a default. A lot of the drama we expect to happen is usually on the back burner.


2) Words matter. A lot

        Especially when watching defendants explain their story, there are a lot of one liners that actually have a lot of impact. "I did send those emails" or "No, I haven't finished my service yet" are very persuasive in relation to what the judge does, and they are often more impactful than full speeches. Even the small things can carry a massive weight in the courtroom. If someone is ever in this situation, they should take everything into account and realize that literally anything they do can be taken in and used. 


3) Civil proceedings rely heavily on paperwork

        I observed many debt-buyer and auto loan cases. I heard requests for discovery and continuances to get filings in order. Both sides want proof that the other party has an accurate historical record. These documents are very important; they can even be a make or break situation if something is wrong or goes missing. Needing documents is often underrepresented in law movies and shows, but getting paper in order often takes the cake when it comes to what has the most importance. 


4) Protection orders are fast

        Sometimes a proceeding can look like people are just talking to each other. What really is going on is a strict test that the judge is analyzing. Does this conduct meet up with this statute? Does this person pose a threat to this person? Judges will first swear everyone in and then go right to making sure what happened either lines up or doesn't with the law. 

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