A court is a court, of course of course, unless that court is a court of course, unless that court is the famous Ottawa Court!

So, wanna hear what I did this week?

I FINALLY had my day in court!

It wasn't for anything I did (not for lack of trying), but the whole program went to the Ottawa courthouse to learn how to be a court reporter. Fun stuff, right? WRONG!

We went there last Friday, and got a tour and had the opportunity to observe some live trails. I gotta admit, that was sorta cool.

The first trial was the Mental Health Court, in which a man was being sent for two months in a psychiatric hospital. Apparently, he suffered from schizophrenia and had delusions that he was an inventor that was about to inherit some money.
While the trial was interesting, it was also a bit sad. It was nice to see someone getting the help they need, and I wish I could see the follow-up two months from now to see if he has improved.

The second trial was a second-degree murder trial, where witnesses were being questioned. I thought this would be exciting, but I guess in my life, I should have known better!
Here is a sample of what happened.

Crown: So, when you intervened during this 'incident'...
Witness: I didn't intervene then yo, I broke up the fight latah!
Crown: Ok, so, when you intervened during the first incident...
Witness: I didn't intervene. I didn't do nuthin then.
Crown: Thank you. So, during the first incident, when you intervened.
Witness: *Stares at the Crown* I..did...not...intervene
Crown: While you were intervening, did you see anything?

HONESTLY, it was about 2 hours of this. The Crown just kept asking the same questions over adn over and over again. It's like when a record skips, it's entertaining for a bit, but then it starts to grade your nerves. So, I did what any student would do, I started falling asleep ... IN A MURDER TRIAL!

Now, this week, we had to go to court on our own to investigate another trial and report on it. A few of us went into a domestic violence court, where there were 2 mini-trials occurring. I thought that it should be interesting to see a whole trial through to its conclusion. But, remember, what is the moral of the story? What I think will be interesting, is NOT. Trial 1 was adjourned because the Crown wasn't there ... the LAWYER WASN'T THERE! Honestly people, not very impressive.
Trial 2 was adjourned because the main witness could not be found. So, within a span of 2 minutes, I learned that the Canadian Justice System is kinda lazy, like me when I've eaten too much. "I could do it, but let's wait and see what happens in a bit."

Then, a friend of mine came up with an idea to go to the Criminal Courts to go see a marijuana growth operation trial. To be honest, it wasn't that bad. The Crown was a little over-zelaous at points with his expert witness and had to be reigned in, but it was ok. And, never forget, the company was great.
Nothing like having lunch surrounded by four pretty girls and being the only guy ;)

As for the rest of my Ottawa adventure, everything is still the same. My grades hover in the realm of mediocrity, my food choices are slim, the climate is approaching what I like to call the next ice age, my money is sinking faster than the Loonie and my workload is so dense that if it was stacked upon one another, it would have it's own gravity!

*Sigh* At least I have TV to keep me company... and with that, EVERYONE should watch the funniest show on TV right now. It's called, The Big Bang Theory, and it is on Monday nights at 8p.m. on CBS.

Here are a few clips below :)