Fayetteville Municipal Court Fails to Impress

I had an experience today that shook my confidence in our justice system. I have been in several courtrooms in the past and while I did not always agree with the decisions of the Judges, I found them as a group to be fair-minded and very professional. Today in the Fayetteville Municipal Court I experienced the opposite.

My child was in the court for a minor traffic violation which she felt she did not commit. I have always taught her that if you are guilty say so and when you’re not then stand up for your innocence. So we went to court today to have the trial. There were many cases before hers consisting mostly of far more serious charges which were handled as guilty or no contest pleas in a rapid and business-like manner.

However when it came time for my daughter’s trail the demeanor of the court changed dramatically. I have to say that I’ve never seen a Judge be more condescending and almost outright hostile to a defendant. It was such a shift from the way the court handled the earlier cases that it greatly surprised me.

It almost seemed to me that the court was irritated that my daughter had the audacity to plead innocent and waste the time of the court. But our system gives every defendant the right to a fair hearing without prejudice, without condescension, and without hostility from the court. I do not question the right of the Judge to make a determination of guilt or innocence in any case, but I do take issue with the manner in which the Judge conducted himself this day.

Maybe the Judge had a bad day and I should give him the benefit of the doubt. I’m sure he tires of the endless parade of defendants, some which he has seen countless times before. However in the handling of that one case today, the Fayetteville Municipal Court failed to impress.

I cannot end this blog entry without noting a “ray of sunshine” in an otherwise bleak day at the court building. The officer who handles the door security was a true gentleman to my daughter who was greatly upset after the trial. I thank this officer for his professionalism and compassion.

Municipal Court

Submitted by NUK_1 on Wed, 05/14/2008 - 8:29pm.

But our system gives every defendant the right to a fair hearing without prejudice, without condescension, and without hostility from the court

That's news to me. I've never seen that "right" anywhere. Just because you wish something doesn't mean it's true.

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I'm afraid that is what

Submitted by too bad on Wed, 05/14/2008 - 8:52pm.

parents are finding out...it doesn't give us the 'right' to a fair trial...it only gives us 'a day in court' and a bad lesson for kids....end of story.

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your description is almost the mirror image of ours

Submitted by oldbeachbear on Wed, 05/14/2008 - 6:06pm.

Several years ago, my child and a neighbors a had similar experience. They were always taught to tell the truth and respect the police and the system, but when you are right, stand your ground.

Both boys told the same story and so we hired a lawyer to help them and the offense was so minor and a joke at best. The oldest child was 11 or 12.
We were proud of the boys for standing their ground. We were in for a shock. Not only did the judge talk down to our kids, belittle them, and practically call them a liar, he found them guilty!

The kids were really hurt, mine told me he would never trust a policeman again, as these two lied. The other Mother moved because she said she didn't trust the police or the courts after that and would never let hers learn to drive here.

Long story short, you have the best intentions, but the kids get an ugly lesson. A NARC buddy of mine had already told me not to do it, that the judges ...always...take the word of the police. And of cource that makes you and yours the bad guy. Also, if your kid is innocent, they make no money off the deal. The kids come away with a justified impression that the system is dishonest, or at best tilted against them.

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Name names and state the facts

Submitted by mapleleaf on Wed, 05/14/2008 - 4:58pm.

Why don't you name the judge and state what happened? Why beat around the bush?

(We don't elect these judges, but we elect the people who appoint them.)

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I think

Submitted by oldbeachbear on Wed, 05/14/2008 - 6:07pm.

it is best not to give names and facts and they will just treat her kid worse if there is a next time.

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yup, let's keep those 'bad' judges around...

Submitted by Main Stream on Wed, 05/14/2008 - 7:53pm.

"...it is best not to give names and facts..."

Yes, by all means let's protect the names of the bad judges.

This is why I usually cast my vote against keeping the status quo judges in place, unless it is well known that a particular judge is great at his/her job.

Voting 'NO' when judges come up for a vote, keeps them humble.

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I agree with you

Submitted by too bad on Wed, 05/14/2008 - 8:59pm.

but if you have a teenager, you don't want them to go to court for running a stop sign, etc...when it is their word against the police. If you have made a stink in the past, the kid will suffer cause they will make an example out of them next time, just to vindicate themselves. This is the way it goes, and I'm afraid, court here teaches you that.

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