For the Court observation assignment I attended Dutchess County Criminal Courtroom on April 1, 2004. I was in the courtroom of the Honorable Gerald V. Hayes. At first I thought I was late, but when I got into the courtroom I found only the bailiff and stenographer just chatting away with two others in the room, which seem to be clerks, doing paper work. I went up to the bailiff to explain why I was there and if he could explain things to me. That turned out to be the best thing I did. Not only did he first give me the calendar for the day, he must have told others that I was there. Soon, Professor Witherwax came up to me and told me to move into the jury box so I could hear better and he said he would ask the Judge if I could sit in on the conference.
I moved closer and then Witherwax came up to me and said I was allowed to move into the conference room, when they went in. I am happy he allowed me to because first and second call only took about an hour; the rest of the hour and a half was spent in conference.
On the calendar were several Violation of Probations and Arraignments. The case I will relate here was one of those arraignments. John Doe was being arraigned after committing a robbery with three other people; however, he was being arraigned separately. The minute his name was called his Defense Attorney immediately called "Conference" and the Judge didn't question it as he did in other cases, and then went onto the next case. .
When it was time to go to the conference, I was told to follow the two clerks that I saw when I first walked in. On the way through the door to go to the conference area the bailiff asked me if the Judge said it was ok if I went back there. Once I went back told him it was ok, I went back and waited for the Judge to enter the room. .
In the room were the Judge, the two clerks, myself, and the different Assistant District Attorney (A. D. A.) and the different Defense Attorney, depending on the case that was being discussed.
