Today, I went to court with the attorney. I watched a case in domestic violence court revolving around a man charged with assaulting a female and kidnapping. He was taking several strong drugs which caused him to hallucinate and lock his family in a room. He held knives outside the door and guarded it as if there were a dangerous presence in the home, not permitting his wife or children to leave. This man is also a roofer who often works in different states like Virginia. The attorney’s goal was to convince the judge to remove the Electronic Monitoring System from the defendant. He argued that, as it restricted his movement, it posed a risk to his safety. The wife gave emotional testimony, as well, saying that the financial burden caused by living in a separate household was too much and that she was on the brink of eviction. While she claimed she felt perfectly safe with the defendant, the prosecutor felt strongly that the monitoring system not be removed from the defendant, as she felt it posed a significant risk to his wife and children. Upon deliberating with the counsel, the judge ordered that the defendant complete a drug test; if he passed it, the monitoring system could be removed. The attorney, defendant, and I went into a small conference room, and the attorney called a translator from his office, as the defendant did not speak English. The defendant did have strong drugs in his system, so the attorney withdrew his motion. The attorney also explained to me that it would have crossed his moral boundaries to push further, given the new information.
After court, the attorney explained to me the difference between statutory law and common law. While statutory law is written law established by a legislature, common law is rooted in judicial precedent. Overall, this portion of my work experience program served as a fascinating introduction to the legal system. It was enriching to see real cases and enriching to augment my knowledge of legal processes.
