Law – CA Work Experience Program

Day 8- Recognized in the House!

Today was another great day but sad knowing that it was our last day at the NCGA. I attended an appropriations meeting for the Agriculture Committee with Bella in the morning, and then we headed over to the House gallery where we watched voting take place on a number of bills. A few of the bills being voted on passed without much discussion, but one bill regarding concealed carry weapons in places of worship emerged extremely controversial and sparked heavy debate between the representatives, falling mostly between party lines. Hefty concepts such as gun control and the Second Amendment were brought up, and hearing representatives speak on such serious and far-reaching issues was very riveting. It was also interesting to observe the various tactics members used during the debate to further their arguments, like employing specific statistics, metaphors, personal stories, and relatable examples. After the bill was moved along, Andrew and I were recognized by the Speaker of the House, Tim Moore, and received a standing ovation from all of the members, which was a really cool moment.

View from the gallery as the House convened

In the afternoon, I went to lunch with Ashley and lobbyist Rachel Beaulieu as well as T. Jerry William’s, a friend of Ashley and Rachel’s and a well-respected lobbyist. He has been in this profession for 50 years, and was able to give me some great advice as well as explain how lobbying has evolved over time. It was a really nice way to end out the week!

Picture with Ashley at lunch!

Day 7- Committee Debate

Wednesday was a very exciting and interesting day, as I was able to attend a variety of thought-provoking and informative discussions. In the morning, I sat in on the Justice and Public Safety appropriations meeting, which was very cool to witness as it was one of the first steps taken on the House budget this year. As a result of Covid and other factors, both the Senate and House budgets are progressing much more slowly this year, but in this meeting the committee’s appropriations were discussed and it was shocking to hear the amounts of money allocated to specific endeavors (as well as what those endeavors were and their purposes).

Front of LB

Ashley and I met with various legislators throughout the day, including Representative Brenden Jones, Representative Riddell, and Johanna Reese, Deputy Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs at the NCDOT. However, my favorite part of the day was listening to the Senate Health Care committee meeting where they discussed a bill called the Human Life Nondiscrimination Act. This was particularly intriguing as many senators from both parties had strong opinions on the bill (which they voiced), and we got to hear from over a dozen speakers from the public as well. The contributors included multiple individuals diagnosed with Down syndrome as well as an OBGYN, Planned Parenthood, and social services dealing with disability in North Carolina.

Obviously, the decisions surrounding this bill were very complex and controversial, and the discussion on the floor reflected this. It was a memorable meeting to witness for sure.

In a committee meeting

Day 8: Custody WebEx Court Continued

Today was another day filled with custody hearings, so things went more or less the same as the day before.

One difference, however, was one case I witnessed today involved all sides agreeing that the biological parents should regain custody of their children due to the many ways the parents have tried to change including taking drug screenings and doing therapy sessions to adapt to their lives are guardians of their children. This hearing taught me that even though some parents may initially make mistakes, the court allows many to have a second chance and that at the end of the day, the welfare of the child is prioritized by every party.

Day 5/6- Routine Tuesday

The NCGA did not meet on Friday, and therefore I did not go back in to either the Legislative Building or Legislative Office Building until Tuesday.

Tuesday was a fairly routine day at the Legislative Building, but busy and interesting nevertheless. Ashley and I met with a few legislators throughout the day, including Senator Chaudhuri, who serves my district. He wanted to get a student’s perspective on issues occurring recently in schools as a result of Covid, and it was really cool to be able to discuss this with him. We agreed on the importance of extracurricular opportunities at school, even when they pose challenges due to Covid restrictions. He was one of my favorite legislators I had met thus far.

For lunch, Bella and I went to the Raleigh Times with Ashley and fueled up on street tacos, which were delicious. I’ve really enjoyed the location of the NCGA in downtown Raleigh, and being able to walk to a variety of restaurants in such close proximity to the building is really great.

In the afternoon, Bella and I attended a few committee meetings, as well as Senate Rules at 2:30. After the meeting, we went back to Representative Martin’s office and hung out with Lee and Chris for the rest of the day.

Sitting on 2nd floor of LB

Senate Rules

Day 7: WebEx Custody Court & Court Tour

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.

Day 6: WebEx Abuse & Neglect Court

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wake County Courts were forced to switch to a virtual setting and today I got a witness this firsthand.

Even though the court system was able to adjust to an online format quickly and continue with trying cases, I witnessed some of the troubles that are specific to online court. For example, today the internet in the courthouse shut down completely which forced Judge Davidian to reschedule some of his cases for future dates because he had to call into the meeting on his phone and could not record the meeting. Also, online court cases seem to be harder to control because there were several instances where witness testimonies were interrupted by others and it was harder for Judge Davidian to control the court as compared to an in person hearing.

Overall, today was a great learning experience and I learned how important it was for the justice system to continue functioning even during a pandemic despite some few minor hiccups.

Day 4- Touring DTR

In the morning, there was a committee meeting to discuss and vote on a bill that Ashley had helped initiate, and it passed! She had to leave before lunch, so I spent the rest of the afternoon with Bella and Representative Martin’s Legislative Assistant, Chris, as well as his intern, Lee. Chris took us on a walking tour of the area around the Legislative Building- we were able to see the Governor’s Mansion, Capitol Building, and North Carolina Medical Society in addition to other government establishments.

Outside of Capitol Building

We were able to actually go inside the Capitol Building and view many of its rooms, including the Historic Senate and House Chambers, which were really nice. On our way out, we ran into Roy Cooper as he was speaking with members of the State Employees Association of North Carolina. We ended up talking briefly with him and getting a picture as well, which was a really memorable experience!

Rotunda of the Capitol Building

Historic Senate Chamber

Meeting Governor Cooper

When we returned to the Legislative Building, Chris brought us to the rooftop, where a garden and skylights are housed. For the rest of the afternoon, we talked to Chris and Lee about their everyday tasks and responsibilities as assistants, and learned how to respond efficiently and adequately to emails from constituents.

LB Rooftop

Day 5: Special Settings Bench Trial

Today I witnessed a bench trial (a trial with no jury where the judge is the ultimate decision maker). In this trial, the defendant was accused of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest in a hospital, and the District Attorney brought three police officers from said hospital along with surveillance footage to support their case. The defense, on the other hand, had the testimony of the defendant and the cross-examination of the prosecution’s witnesses to back up their side of the case.

Ultimately, after a ten minute decision making process, Judge Davidian found the suspect not guilty of disorderly conduct but guilty of resisting arrest. If the suspect was not happy with the outcome of the trial, however, she could appeal to the superior court for a jury trial. Watching this trial taught me that even the most minor details on the video evidence including which way the defendant was looking could influence the outcome of a trial.

Day 4: Calendar Calls

Today, I was able to attend Judge Davidian’s calendar call, which was done via WebEx. During a calendar call, attorneys that represent clients convene to schedule trial or hearing dates to make sure the defendant can attend court at the time and that the attorney has no conflicting meetings during that time. Viewing this behind-the-scenes meeting made me realize the amount of additional work judges and the court clerks need to do to make sure the court system runs efficiently and to ensure lawyers can represent their clients as effectively as possible.

Day 3- Meeting Frenzy

Today was packed full of meetings with representatives and senators that Ashley and I attended! We discussed both general policies and specific bills with many of these legislators, and it was interesting to see the strategies Ashley used to gain their support, such as connecting on shared interests and opinions.

One event that happened today which I found particularly intriguing was a protest outside of the Legislative Building, where anti-abortion activists rented out space and held a protest in which they advocated for HB 158, which would ban abortion in North Carolina. I observed this convention with Bella as well as Representative Martin’s intern Chris, and watching members of the public attempt to gain support for a piece of legislation was certainly notable as I know this is a common occurrence outside of any political workplace (especially the NC LB).

In the afternoon, I was able to attend the House’s discussion of a significant bill, which was a great experience- watching from the gallery above was fascinating and definitely memorable!

Watching the House meet from gallery!

Pin gifted to us by Representative Diane Wheatley