Firstly, I want to state that the clerk of Gwinnett County courts lacks intelligence.
Initially, I inquired about the court hearing’s preferred times and cases available for observation. Unfortunately, the clerk couldn’t provide specific answers and only informed me that all cases were open to the public at any time, which I already knew. It wasn’t until I visited the criminal courts at the courthouse that I discovered cases usually take place at 9:30 AM and 1:00 PM. Eventually, the administrative office provided me with a list of cases scheduled for the day and advised on which ones would be most suitable. Upon entering courtroom 3E, my expectation of it resembling those large courtrooms depicted on TV shows proved to be incorrect.
The observed case was for aggravated assault and presided over by Judge Dawson Jackson. Prior to court proceedings, some present lawyers were discussing subpoenaing another lawyer named Mr.
Novell has been subpoenaed for reasons related to his representation of a co-defendant named Diaz and something mentioned in the affidavit. The exact facts on why this subpoena has been issued are unclear.
Once court was in session, Mr. Ashley, a man who introduced himself, mentioned the reason for Mr. Novell being subpoenaed and suggested the possibility of filing a motion. After the commotion subsided, they proceeded with jury selection and discussed some case concerns.
Mr. Wayne Tench is facing charges for three separate incidents. The first incident occurred on December 27, 2005, where he allegedly assaulted both Sam and Robert using a bobcat, a potentially dangerous object that can cause serious bodily harm. The second incident also involves assault with a bobcat. The third charge is for criminal damage to a Ford Expedition, amounting to $500.
Mr. Tench is being represented by Mrs. Phyllis Russell, whose outfit I wish had been more attractive as it appeared rather dull.
I noticed that she was wearing an old burgundy jacket and a black skirt. The court recorder, dressed in a stylish emerald green dress, had the appearance of a kind and gentle grandmother. One peculiar thing about the court recorder was that she was using a device that resembled one side of large headphones to speak into. I always thought court recorders used small typewriters to transcribe the proceedings of the court.
Before Judge Jackson requested the jury selection, the District attorney’s office presented new evidence concerning the case. The evidence revealed that they had received information about threats made by Mr. Tench towards Sam and Robert. These threats were made over the phone and their nature was described as follows: [insert further content of the threats].
Tench informed the others that he would exchange another car for the damaged one and that he was not going to take sole responsibility. He intended to report an incident that occurred near their residences to the police. Currently, the facts are unclear, as they are still attempting to obtain the tape. Furthermore, Mrs. Russell has been away for two weeks and is hearing about this for the first time. She wants to acquire the recording promptly. With the introduction of this new evidence, Judge Jackson calls for the commencement of jury selection. They bring in thirty-three individuals for this purpose.
Judge Jackson announces that twelve individuals will be chosen for jury duty, along with one alternate. The District Attorney then outlines the process of jury selection. Along with Mrs. Russell, he will ask a series of statute and nosy questions in order to determine the qualifications of potential jurors.
Some questions asked included: Has anyone used a bobcat or familiar with it? Does anyone know Mr. Tench? Has anyone been convicted of a criminal offense or know someone who has? Has anyone already formed an opinion about Mr. Tench? The questioning continues from there. The district attorney and Mrs.
Russell and others have opportunities to ask questions, and the jury responds by raising their number if the question applies to them. Many of the questions did not pertain to anyone present, except for having a criminal conviction or knowing someone who does. I did observe that the jury selection process mainly consisted of white individuals and females.
I was dissatisfied with the jury selection procedure as it lacked sufficient representation of males and minorities. My anticipation was for a more diverse panel, comprising an equal number of both men and women. Regrettably, I had to depart after enduring approximately an hour of questioning due to my unfamiliarity with the selection process.
I had to leave within an hour because I needed to go to work downtown. In addition, being in Gwinnett County far from my house left me exhausted. It is clear that the jury also needed to be ready to depart since I was already in the courtroom before them.
