Court hearing
With all the kaguluhan happening around me, I actually had a very "memorable" day. I went to my very first court hearing! But before you guys think of The Practice, Ally McBeal or whatever, let me just say that it's definitely not like what you had seen on TV.
First, the courtroom is really small. And like the horror stories that I've heard from upper batches, it was very hot because the airconditioning was unfortunately not functioning. I was sweating profusely while wearing a full blazer and pants.
I thought the hearing of "my" case is scheduled at 2pm, but "my" case was actually listed at no.24 for that same time. Nevertheless, I was out of there by 3:30pm because most of the accused/complainant in the previous case list were not present. And most of the cases were reset to 1-2 months later! Sobrang bagal talaga ng ikot ng hustisya sa tin! But still we can't blame the court personnel because they're really just severely lacking in manpower. I can't imagine how the judge and fiscal are able to handle their caseload of 30-40 cases per day! I already have difficulty juggling the 14 cases assigned to me right now.
Anyway, it was supposedly the initial trial for my case, meaning the prosecution would present their first witness. Since I am the "counsel" for the accused, my role would be to object on the questions asked by the fiscal. I was sooo nervous because I have no idea what I should do. The difficult thing about objections is that you have to think quickly if the question is objectionable and then state your reason for finding it objectionable. And you have to do it in a span of 3-5 seconds, the span of time after the fiscal asks the question but before the witness gives his answer!
Haay, I didn't even know when I was supposed to stand and introduce myself as a law intern. Ideally, our supervising lawyers should accompany us in hearings. However, since they're also busy with their private and academic practice, most of the time, law interns are left alone to bungle the cases. *hehe, j/k*
So there I was looking smart on the outside but feeling so dumb in the inside. Once my case was called, I stood up and spoke my practiced line. It turned out that the prosecution witness was not around. I suppose I should have made a motion or something but I just stared blankly ahead while the fiscal, who was probably reading the case file for the first time at that moment, made a motion to issue a subpoena duces tecum. And then it was over. I heaved a huge sigh of relief. I really don't see myself doing this as a profession. From the very first moment I entered law school, I knew there's no way I would end up in litigation. I prefer office work. ^_^
Outside the courtroom, I talked to my client about the case. I felt more scared because these are real people with real issues. I pity them because they can't find a decent lawyer who could represent them. Most of our clients kasi are indigent and maawa ka talaga sa kanila. All I hope is that I would be able to help them someway with my very limited knowledge of the law... Coz no matter how much I slack off with my subjects, I can't afford to bungle these cases because there's a REAL consequence not to me, but to these helpless people...
First, the courtroom is really small. And like the horror stories that I've heard from upper batches, it was very hot because the airconditioning was unfortunately not functioning. I was sweating profusely while wearing a full blazer and pants.
I thought the hearing of "my" case is scheduled at 2pm, but "my" case was actually listed at no.24 for that same time. Nevertheless, I was out of there by 3:30pm because most of the accused/complainant in the previous case list were not present. And most of the cases were reset to 1-2 months later! Sobrang bagal talaga ng ikot ng hustisya sa tin! But still we can't blame the court personnel because they're really just severely lacking in manpower. I can't imagine how the judge and fiscal are able to handle their caseload of 30-40 cases per day! I already have difficulty juggling the 14 cases assigned to me right now.
Anyway, it was supposedly the initial trial for my case, meaning the prosecution would present their first witness. Since I am the "counsel" for the accused, my role would be to object on the questions asked by the fiscal. I was sooo nervous because I have no idea what I should do. The difficult thing about objections is that you have to think quickly if the question is objectionable and then state your reason for finding it objectionable. And you have to do it in a span of 3-5 seconds, the span of time after the fiscal asks the question but before the witness gives his answer!
Haay, I didn't even know when I was supposed to stand and introduce myself as a law intern. Ideally, our supervising lawyers should accompany us in hearings. However, since they're also busy with their private and academic practice, most of the time, law interns are left alone to bungle the cases. *hehe, j/k*
So there I was looking smart on the outside but feeling so dumb in the inside. Once my case was called, I stood up and spoke my practiced line. It turned out that the prosecution witness was not around. I suppose I should have made a motion or something but I just stared blankly ahead while the fiscal, who was probably reading the case file for the first time at that moment, made a motion to issue a subpoena duces tecum. And then it was over. I heaved a huge sigh of relief. I really don't see myself doing this as a profession. From the very first moment I entered law school, I knew there's no way I would end up in litigation. I prefer office work. ^_^
Outside the courtroom, I talked to my client about the case. I felt more scared because these are real people with real issues. I pity them because they can't find a decent lawyer who could represent them. Most of our clients kasi are indigent and maawa ka talaga sa kanila. All I hope is that I would be able to help them someway with my very limited knowledge of the law... Coz no matter how much I slack off with my subjects, I can't afford to bungle these cases because there's a REAL consequence not to me, but to these helpless people...