Volunteer Court-Watching
Our next training session for volunteer court-watchers, assisting the Judicial Performance Commission of Cook County, is May 26 at our office at 11:00 am. The training lasts a little over an hour and explains both the mechanics of our court-watching program, as well as the goals and procedures of the JPC.
Volunteers need no particular experience with court proceedings. Volunteers must commit to a minimum of four court-watching sessions in a six-month period, but will conduct their observations on their own schedules. We will be observing judges who are standing for retention in November 2012.
Judges to be observed sit in courtrooms at the Daley Center, the Criminal Courthouse and some branch courts in Cook County. An individual court-watching session runs the length of the court session (typically 9:00 to noon in the morning and 1:30 to 4:30 in the afternoon). Court-watchers record their impressions on a standard form. The civil court-watching form includes a rating matrix over nine elements of the judge’s demeanor and the criminal court-watching form rates eleven elements of behavior of the judge. Both forms provide ample space for additional comments.
Volunteering as a court-watcher gives everyone a chance to view our court system in action and gives Chicago Appleseed critical insight to the daily workings of our courts and their efficacy. Court-watching connects members of the community to the courts in a manner most people never experience. With a diverse volunteer base, Chicago Appleseed broadens the perspective of our research, and engages more of the community in thinking critically about the courts. If you have any questions about the program, or are interested in serving as a court-watcher, please contact Elizabeth at Chicago Appleseed.