Paper #4

Paper 4 is to reflect on a visit to a couple courts.

Here are schedules for courts in Kirksville:


Docket Call:

Judge Steele calls his docket on the first and third Monday and first Tuesday, following the first Monday, of each month.

This means that there will be a session on Monday, November 21; morning begins at 10, afternoon begins at 1. arrive a few minutes early, get acclimated. The top floor of the big yellow building in the center of the square, across from Cinema 8 / Java Co.

Judge Swaim calls her criminal docket every Wednesday at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. She hears civil and small claims cases on the second and fourth Monday of each month. Judge Swaim hears domestic cases on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.

so: Fourth Monday will be the 28th, the monday back from thanksgiving. Expect domestic cases involving minors to be closed to the public, so those are not ideal times to go.

Judge Swaim has a crowded courtroom; small groups advised at best (not uncommonly S-R-O). She's on the ground floor. Courts are public fora, but be respectful if its really crowded.

And from the Western District Courts of Appeals:

DIVISION II: THIS DIVISION WILL SIT ON DECEMBER 2 IN THE CIRCUIT COURTROOM AT THE ADAIR COUNTY COURTHOUSE IN KIRKSVILLE. MO. IT WILL HA VE ONE DOCKET CALL AT 9:30A.

Or see a court in your home county:

St Charles, Boone, Jackson, and Cole are four of the 114 counties you will find on the drop-down menu on the Circuit Courts Homepage.

And the paper assignment is here:

Visit two courts. Compare and contrast them on dimensions that we have studied in this course. You can visit Adair County Circuit Court, or Kirksville Municipal Court, and I expect that the Missouri Court of Appeals will hear several cases in Kirksville in early December. In the past, students have also visited a court in their hometown over thanksgiving break.

If you haved trouble scheduling two courts, let me know.