A Day of Observation in Judicial Court- Part 1: Public Defender

Court is nothing like what’s portrayed on television, though my experience is limited to a pre-trial session at the S. James Foxman Justice Center in Daytona Beach, Florida. This justice center is the seventh of 20 judicial circuit courts, which are general jurisdiction trial courts where the majority of Florida jury trials are held (Florida Courts 2025).

This judicial circuit encompasses Volusia, Putnam, St. Johns, and Flagler counties, and over one million residents of central Florida (Seventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, n.d). Judge Leah Case, Chief Judge of the Seventh Judicial Circuit, ran the session I observed and was elected by the public in a nonpartisan vote, meaning political affiliations were not listed on the ballot. Judges are expected to be neutral and impartial, hence the decision to exclude such political leanings (Kang 2024). Chief Judge Case’s job is to assign judges to divisions, implement and develop court operation plans, supervise the court, make fair rulings and decisions, and ensure the Seventh Judicial

Circuit courts are accessible and open to the public (Case, n.d). 

The pretrial phase of the court process occurs before the criminal trial, which is meant to determine guilt or innocence. It establishes what evidence, facts, laws, witnesses, and other relevant information are to be included in the trial. This serves as an opportunity for the defense and prosecution to exchange information and evidence they plan to present during the criminal trial (Legal Information Institute, n.d). Failing to present the defense with information that supports their innocence can result in a Brady violation. This stems from the court case Brady vs. Maryland, which determined that withholding relevant information that directly impacts the sentence of a criminal defendant is unconstitutional and violates their right to due process, having all legal rights respected (Brady v. Maryland, 1963). 

The Public Defender Portion 

Chris Boals and I arrived at the justice center on Thursday, May 22nd, at 8:15 AM. We entered the building and were greeted by six officers in dark green uniforms who asked us to set our belongings on a table and walk through a body scanner. It was similar to going through TSA, with a miniature version of the same machine that scans carry-on luggage. The courtrooms are on the second floor and show the name of the judge running the session on a plaque beside the doors. 

Many others waited outside the courtroom with us while a public defense attorney, an attorney provided by the State to defendants who cannot afford one, walked from person to person, quickly covering plea deals and information regarding their case before the session began. Chris informed me that the judge starts with public attorney cases, then moves on to private attorney cases. Private attorneys are paid directly by defendants who can afford their services. Chris also noted that many of the people we waited with were meeting their attorney for the first time, minutes before their pre-trial. 15 minutes divided among multiple people was the attention they received before facing the judge. The defense attorney approached us, pen at the ready, and asked if we were here for court. He had a piece of paper to take notes while listening and reviewing with his clients. He walked away when we informed him of our status as observers. At 8:30 AM, the attorneys and other staff entered the courtroom while the rest of us continued to wait, unsure if it was okay to enter. Eventually, without a word from anyone, we made our way into the room. 

Rows of seats lined the entrance on the right and left of the double doors. Back to the seats, the prosecution on the left and the defense on the right faced the judge’s bench. Though there are 12 jurors at a criminal court trial, 14 jury seats were to the left of the prosecution to account for alternates. The judge’s bench oversees the courtroom. A divider separated the seats from the rest of the room, with one stand for the defendants between the attorneys and the judge’s bench. The defense attorneys continued to meet with clients before Judge Leah Case entered the room and an officer announced, “All rise.” We stood until she took the bench and instructed, “You may be seated.”