Court watchers process:
- Determine the scope of the program: Decide which court(s) to monitor, what types of cases to observe, and which issues to focus on.
- Recruit volunteers: Recruit volunteers who are interested in court monitoring and are willing to commit to a regular schedule.
- Train volunteers: Train volunteers on legal procedures, courtroom etiquette, and how to take accurate notes during court proceedings.
- Develop a monitoring tool: Develop a monitoring tool that includes the information to be collected, such as the date, time, judge’s name, case number, and key observations.
- Schedule court observations: Schedule volunteers to observe court proceedings on a regular basis and assign them to specific courtrooms.
- Monitor court proceedings: Volunteers should observe court proceedings while following ethical guidelines and standards for court monitoring. They should take accurate notes and record any issues or concerns.
- Collect data: Collect data from court observations and compile them into a database or report.
- Analyze the data: Analyze the data to identify trends, issues, and concerns.
- Share findings: Share the findings with relevant stakeholders, such as the court administration, the bar association, and the public.
- Advocate for change: Use the findings to advocate for changes in court procedures or policies to ensure that justice is being served and the court is functioning in accordance with the law.
- Evaluate the program: Evaluate the program regularly to ensure that it is achieving its goals and making a positive impact. Make adjustments as necessary to improve the program.
Additional information for court watching:
- Threatens Judicial Independence
- Nothing More Than a “Gotcha” Game
- Is Inherently Misguided Because Courts Have Little Control of Outcomes
- Uniqueness of Our Court Defies Observation by Outsiders (There’s No Way to Understand What We Do)
- Is an Invitation to Unfavorable and Unfair Comparisons
- Reports will Be Misused
- Results Will Be Used to Hurt, Not Help
- Is Good for Problem Diagnosis But Not Cure
- Is Too Expensive
- Could Vulgarize Jurisprudence
- Court watching
- Start court watching
- Court watching programs
- Although from canada, this document has some merit
Links/work for laws regarding judicial campaign fairness