Manyfederal courthouses are historic buildings, and all are designed for the public to visit and learn first-hand about the tradition and purpose of the American judicial process. The public may visit a court to watch each step of the federal judicial process, with few exceptions.
A person who wishes to observe a court in session may check the court calendar online or at the courthouse and watch a proceeding. Our Constitution and court tradition give citizens right of access to court proceedings. Citizens gain confidence in the courts by seeing judicial work in action, and learn first-hand how the judicial system works.
Court dockets and some case files are available on the Internet through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records system (PACER), at In addition, nearly every federal court maintains a website with information about court rules and procedures.
In a few situations the public may not have full access to court records and court proceedings. In a high-profile trial, for example, available space may limit the number of observers. Or, security reasons may limit access, such as the protection of a juvenile or a confidential informant. Finally, a judge may seal certain documents, such as confidential business records, certain law enforcement reports, and juvenile records.
The best time to visit a court is during a unit on the judicial system or the rights that the system protects. In this context, students can put their new knowledge to use by observing and interpreting court sessions and finding out more information from judges and other court personnel. In particular, it may be helpful for students to learn about the structure, functions, and procedures of the court before attending.
Following up on a visit to the court is just as important as the preparation for the visit. Teachers should reinforce learning from the court experience through continued classroom activities on the judicial system. Whenever possible, they should refer to what students learned while at the courts to help them make connections between the court and their classroom experiences.
The E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse in the District of Columbia, because of its location in the nation's capital, handles many cases that shape the history of our country. There is an exhibit of some of these cases in the William Benson Bryant Annex of the D.C. courthouse. The next time you are in Washington, you are invited to visit the courthouse to learn about these cases from the past that have an impact on American life today. You also may want to observe a live trial. Courthouses are public buildings and courtrooms are open to the public.
The Clerk of the Courts is a county elected official who performs as an officer of the court, the manager of court information and the chief financial officer for all revenues collected on behalf of the Court. This office also issues marriage licenses and maintains all recorded marriage in Clark County.
The Clerk administers the official court records for all trial court cases with jurisdiction in Clark County, prepares the permanent historical records for the courts, processes and issues various documents for court cases.
Trial courts around the state are conducting remote video hearings, and they are authorized by Supreme Court order to live-stream hearings that are open to the public. Click on the link below to watch trial courts online. Recording of court hearings is prohibited, so archived versions of hearings are not available.
Many trial courts around the state are streaming non-confidential court proceedings to allow the public access to their courtrooms without physically being present. In many courts, the hearings are entirely remote, with parties and lawyers joining by video conference.
These streams are authorized by Supreme Court order (through the end of 2020) to aid the public health by promoting social distancing. The tool that trial courts use to stream and the website where the public can watch are provided by the Indiana Office of Court Technology. However, the content of the videos are entirely under the oversight of the local court that is streaming.
If a trial court is streaming, it will be listed on the home page with a button to "Watch Live." Clicking or tapping the button takes you to a page with a video player. The video should start automatically, but if it doesn't work, click the button to "Switch to Alternate Player."
The quality of the audio and video may vary depending on the trial court's available connectivity, equipment, and whether the proceeding is remote or in-person. If you have questions about audio and video, please contact the trial court directly.
Court watch is a volunteer-based presence in courtrooms to observe legal proceedings. Court hearings are public, but many folks have never seen the inside of the courtroom. We highlight the reality of our legal system by recording data and stories, finding trends in the system, and presenting our findings to the general public.
Volunteers will watch court sessions in-person or over Zoom and record significant details of each decision made by the judge (such as specific charges, racial background of the person being charged, whether they have a public defender, whether they are homeless), and that data will be moved into a spreadsheet for analysis and eventual publication.
If you are interested in virtual court watching in SMC or in-person at another court, please fill out our Volunteer Interest Form and NCBF will reach out with extra details. We are very excited to relaunch this much-needed program to aid in ending pre-trial detention and look forward to working with you.
When a judge is selected for the Court Observation & Education Program (after multiple reports* are made by law practitioners and court actors flagging them for #1 or #2 above), court-watchers are deployed to observe these judges in their courtrooms for up to 12 weeks. Volunteers may complete as many observations as they would like in addition to the minimum requirements, but are asked to commit to observing at least three one-hour sessions in the same courtroom on different days.
Approximately six months from the time this report is delivered, COEP court-watchers will again observe the judge in question to assess potential improvement; at that time, an updated version of this report which includes our findings based on the second round of court-watching will be accessible to the public.
Court-watchers receive training to assess the atmosphere, culture, and character of the courtroom to understand how judges influence the environment and collect data to inform our future advocacy efforts and ongoing research. Once trained, court-watchers observe court and complete an online survey to examine procedural fairness, judicial temperament and bias, and court management. The survey presently consists of five sections: (1) General Information, (2) Judicial Behavior, such as temperament and courtroom management, (3) Domestic Violence if applicable, (4) Complications, including a narrative of the experience, and (5) Survey Feedback. Regardless of volunteers they respond throughout, the survey ends with an opportunity for the participant to provide feedback on the survey.
When a judge is selected for COEP, court-watchers are deployed to observe these judges in their courtrooms for up to 12 weeks. Court-watchers look at the micro-cultures of each courtroom to understand how this environment impacts litigants.
Approximately six months from the time this report is delivered, COEP court-watchers again observe the judge in question to assess potential improvement; at that time, an updated version of this report which includes our findings based on the second round of court-watching will be accessible to the public.
A judge is selected for the Court Observation & Education Program after multiple reports* are made by law practitioners and court actors flagging them for (a) having judicial performance issues related to temperament, bias, and/or courtroom management, or (b) being exceptionally good jurists.
A specific courthouse or division is selected for court-watching to support our research and advocacy efforts. COEP volunteers observe and report on general courtroom policies, procedures, and accessibility.
Anyone can be a court-watcher! Most of our court-watchers do not have any specialized legal training, and therefore, we believe they provide fresher eyes and bring fewer preconceived assumptions about the system with them.
Volunteers sign up to court-watch at ChicagoAppleseed.org/Get-Involved and must simply complete a one-hour training with our staff before beginning to collect data virtually or in-person. Information on volunteer training will be provided by email.
Once trained, court-watchers observe court and complete an online survey (paper copies available upon request) to examine procedural fairness, judicial temperament and bias, and court management. Volunteers may complete as many observations as they would like in addition to the minimum requirements, but are asked to commit to observing at least three one-hour sessions in the same courtroom on different days.
Chicago Appleseed is a volunteer-led, collaborative non-profit organization advocating for fair, accessible, and anti-racist courts in Chicago, Cook County, and across the state of Illinois. Get Involved & Donate.
Join the Center for Constitutional Rights and our partners for a multi-part livestream on January 26 to amplify the hearing in our federal lawsuit, Defense for Children International - Palestine (DCIP) v. Biden.
January 26 is also the We Charge Genocide International Day of Action for Permanent Ceasefire, and the Center for Constitutional Rights and our partners are encouraging people all over the world to hold watch events to follow the pre-hearing livestream and then to switch to the court stream when that begins at 9 a.m. PST / 12 p.m. EST.
NOTE: it is possible that the court's online stream reaches capacity and you may not be able to watch the stream live. However, the Court is recording on the hearing and will make it available to the public at a later time.
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