Court Visit Report: Analysis of a Criminal Court Trial Experience

This report details a student's observation of a criminal court trial involving a drug dealing case. The student describes the courtroom proceedings, including the arguments presented by the plaintiff (accused) and the prosecutors. The plaintiff, already in prison, was seeking a fair decision, claiming he ...Read More

RUNNING HEAD: - Court Visit 0 | P a g e
Court visit
Module Number

Court Visit 1 | P a g e
Court Visit
Student Name:-
Date of visit:-
Time of visit:-
Court attended:-
Name of the judge: - Chan Sent Onn
Nature of proceeding: - Criminal case matter
Summary of matter
The experience of my court visit which includes the procedure of the trial in the presence of
defendant and plaintiff and prosecutors. I attended a trial where a person was guilty for the crime
of drug dealing. I found that plaintiff was trying to put his points and possible evidences were
presented by him for his early bail. The case was concerned with the crime of drug dealing and
the final decision of case was pending due to the due to the statement of plaintiff. The plaintiff
was already in the prison and requesting to the Court for fair decision to protect his own interest.
The plaintiff claimed that he felt into the drug traffic but he didn’t want to. While facing the trial,
the Judge Chan Sent Onn was very ironic and after considering the statement of the plaintiff that
he didn’t want to include into the drug dealing but he felt into that without any wrong intention.
The plaintiff wants to take benefits out of the previous decided laws to get out earlier from the
custody (Williams, 2010). At the same time, other drug dealer was also claiming the relief under
the law decisions made by the Courts in previous cases. In the given court trial, there are several
issues and arguments were raised by the plaintiff and defendant both in order to counter the
written statement made by one party (Jennings, 2015).
Summary of the argument
In the given case, the plaintiff was guilty as well and already in prison, he was defending himself
to get out earlier than the previous law decision fixed for him. In the court, clarification was

Court Visit 2 | P a g e
presented by plaintiff being not the accused and he was pushed in the drug tariffing However, in
the given trial, not any decision was taken, as it was the end of the day the trial suspended. Both
plaintiff and prosecutors were arguing and presenting their views and opinions related to the case
for proving the facts. In the given case, it was found that the plaintiff wants to take benefits out
of the previous decided laws to get out earlier from the custody but due to the lack of evidence
and supported materials he failed to do so. However, while facing the trial, the Judge Chan Sent
Onn considered the statement of the plaintiff that he didn’t want to include into the drug dealing
but he felt into that without any wrong intention. The judge was hearing the parties to the case
very carefully and observed the seriousness of crime. Generally the drug trafficking is a severe
crime in Australia under the drug laws of the Australia. However the quantum of punishment and
fine is based on the class of drug and its quantity but Possession of drug and in impermissible
quantities could be considered as a violation of the Misuse Drugs Act 1971. The judge has
considered all the laws and related case laws while conducting the proceeding for making a fair
decision in the good faith of nation and society (Finn, Colson, & Abt Associates. 2010).
However, I assessed that at the same time the faith of plaintiff is also a responsibility of judge if
he was not guilty and was mistakenly felt into the situation of crime. Therefore he heard the
statement of plaintiff and the other drug dealer and took their request seriously for the fair
decision making. At the end of the day of trial, the plaintiff presented his statement and other
facts to prove him non-guilty but due to the end of trial proceeding for the day, the trial was
suspended by the judge (Clermont, & Eisenberg, 2017).
Personal observation
While attending the trial, I have heard the arguments of prosecutors and also seen the process of
presenting the facts and related documents towards the Court for the proper production of justice.
However I was not able to witness the final judgment of the trial but I have experienced a good
treat of making of fair justice in this court visit. I learned that the judge was more into assessing
the proof and support of the judgment in context with the each claim made by one party to
another (Horack Jr, 2017). However, during the case trial, I learned several things and all the
actions taken by judge in the court was very ironic during the trial facing the seriousness of the
plaintiff. I enjoyed this court trial session and learned various legal complications, procedures of
the trial and how plaintiff and other party try to put their points in front of the judge. However,

Court Visit 3 | P a g e
judge was more inclined towards the evidences and legal laws implication on the case in order to
pass the judgement.

Court Visit 4 | P a g e
References
Finn, P., Colson, S., & Abt Associates. (2010). Civil protection orders: Legislation, current
court practice, and enforcement (p. 33). US Department of Justice, Office of Justice
Programs, National Institute of Justice.
Horack Jr, F. E. (2017). The Common Law of Legislation. Iowa L. Rev., 23, 41.
Jennings, W. I. (2015). Courts and Administrative Law--The Experience of English Housing
Legislation. Harv. L. Rev., 49, 426.
Williams, G. (2010). The effect of penal legislation in the law of tort. Mod. L. Rev., 23, 233.
Clermont, K. M., & Eisenberg, T. (2017). Do case outcomes really reveal anything about the
legal system? Win rates and removal jurisdiction. Cornell L. Rev., 83, 581.