Who Makes Up the Courtroom

The Judge

While they may be intimidating, the judge is not someone who is trying to prove whether or not you’re guilty. According to the ABA his or her job is to ensure that the rules of law have been followed without biases towards either side. The judge oversees that everyone receives a fair trial.

The Attorney

An attorney’s job is to represent their client and their client’s best interests in a court of law. Your attorney is on your side, and there to help you through the situation you’ve retained them for. The same applies for the opposing party’s attorney. They will have their clients’ best interest as a priority. Do not speak to the other party or their attorney unless your own attorney is present and allows it.

Attorneys in the courtroom are also commonly referred to as counsel or counselors.

Plaintiff and Defendant

A plaintiff is the person who initiated a lawsuit by filing a complaint. The plaintiff bears the burden of proving their claims against the defendant before a jury, or in special circumstances, the judge.

A defendant is the party that the allegations in the complaint are against. They bear the burden of disproving the allegations.  

The Role of a Jury

A jury is commonly referred to as “a group of your peers”. They consist of a group of people drawn to listen and determine the facts in a case. The U.S. District Courts released a handbook for serving as a Juror. Few things mentioned include, being of sound judgment, absolute honesty, and a complete sense of fairness.

The final jurors are selected by the parties of the lawsuit through a process called voir dire. These jurors will also be receiving a set of instructions from the parties regarding their role. These instructions tend to be more specific for a case by case basis.

Witnesses & Experts

The witnesses are there to testify under oath about anything they’ve seen or heard that may relate to the case. Sometimes the parties will have expert witnesses. Experts use their background and education to provide testimony on the matter at hand.

The Role of a Court Reporter

A court reporter is there to record everything that is said in the courtroom. They use a stenograph that consists of 22-24 keys. They also type in syllables instead of letters and can combine the keys to make different syllables quickly. Court reporters type up to 200 words per minute with an accurate rate of 97.5%.

The Court Interpreter

A court interpreter’s job is the same as a regular interpreter. They are there to provide translations between languages, if needed.

The Role of the Bailiff

A bailiff is the law enforcement officer in the courtroom who is there to maintain order and safety. They enforce the courtroom rules and guidelines and may remove disruptive people. A bailiff will handle evidence, announce judge’s entry as well as departure, they may run errands for the judge during the trial. The bailiff will escort witnesses to and from the witness stand. They also inspect the courtroom for anything hazardous to the people in it.

Judge’s Associate and Judicial Assistant

If you are not familiar with the courtroom these two jobs may sound the same. However, a judge’s associate is a senior legal professional that is a confidential aide to the judge. The Judges associate conducts in-depth legal research to assist the judge through complex legal cases.

A judicial assistant will manage court documents, schedule hearings, and is less involved in the legal research and decision making. Overall, the judicial assistant’s job focuses more on the administrative tasks.

Final Thoughts

The courtroom has many different people fulling different roles. Without prior knowledge or experience this can become very confusing. If you are in need of an experienced Missoula attorney, contact our office today at 406-549-3323.