Today, I again attended WebEx court, this time on custody cases. In each case, Judge Davidian called in witnesses including the parents, the guardians, and a social worker in charge of the supervision of the children as evidence to show how well the parents are doing. Judge Davidian then rendered his decision about who gets custody of the children (parents, relatives, or the county) and explains his reasoning to the court, including analyzing the background and behavior of the parents as well as reading a report prepared by a Wake County social worker on the condition of the child
Typical NC District Court Tour
1 – Judge’s Stand – This is where the judge’s preside over the trial. One interesting different about Wake County courts is that judges in Wake County are missing the iconic gavel that is common in courtroom TV shows and movies.
2 – Court Clerk – This is where the Courtroom clerk sits during the trial, although Wake County courts are trying to digitize operations, I still saw a lot of paperwork needing to be organized and signed after each trial. Their job during a trial is to maintain court records and organize paperwork for judicial orders.
3 – Jury Bench – This is where a 12-person jury would sit if it were a jury trial. Jurors are selected at random in a list of Wake County residents who are registered voters or have drivers licenses.
4 – Witness Stand – This is where witnesses for both the prosecution and the defense would sit after being sworn in for testimony. Note the microphones present on every bench to make sure everyone can be heard by the whole courtroom.
5 – Prosecutor’s Table – This is where the District Attorney would sit during a trial. The DA’s job is to prosecute the suspects in a trial and to represent the state in the trial.
6 – Defense Table – This is where the defendant or the suspect in a court case and his/her attorney would sit during a trial. In the trial I witnessed, I learned it was crucial for the attorney and their client to remain in constant communication during the trial to effectively devise a defense strategy.
* Sheriff’s Deputy’s stand is next to the Clerk’s table and he is in charge of maintaining order and security in the courtroom.