Working at Municipal Court is definitely interesting. Every day is an adventure.
Our court rooms are set on a 7 week rotation. We move court rooms when we are set to cover mandatory arraignments or Duties Court. Court Room 3 is Felony Arraignments. Most of the larger scale criminal charges start out at "Muni" for their initial arraignment and are then could be bound over to the Grand Jury in Common Pleas Court.
This is my favorite place.
Big things start out here. All the major news making events come through this court room. The Public Defender that is always assigned in Court Room 3 is a gruff, no-bullshit, rather offensive, kind of guy who is always cursing. He's harmless and has a heart of gold. And he may be my favorite person in this whole building.
Court Room 4 is Misdemeanor Arraignments. There is a plethora of cases that come through Court Room 4, but mainly I would explain it as the Domestic Violence Arraignment Court Room. There are Temporary Protection Orders issued during the morning arraignment docket. Court Room 4 also has an afternoon docket - TRAFFIC COURT. Everyone kind of despises traffic court. Everyone. Its boring and long and its usually hot in there. Working in traffic court has solidified my thinking that there are about 7 people total in this city that actually have, and care to have a valid driver's license - and valid insurance for that matter. Working in Traffic Court has made me a better driver. Mainly because I am terrified to get into an accident with, really, anyone else in this city.
My regular criminal/traffic dockets and Duties Court are held in my "home court" - Court Room #11. My other happy place. The place that is organized and cleaned regularly (by me...). AND is close to my snacks and my chair is always in its proper spot.
There are always a variety of smells at Muni. Usually, the elevators smell like a mixture of marijuana smoke and urine. We have the occasional bug bombing near the Housing Court/FED's Court Room on the 3rd Floor. Once, I even had a man come to court completely covered from head to toe in peanut butter. Yes, peanut butter. I still to this day have no idea why he was lathered up in it.
Then there is good ol' Johnny. Johnny B. Good is a "regular". He comes to visit every so often when its cold out or he is hungry. The County Prosecutor's office on the second floor near Court Room #3 always has hot coffee in the morning and the occasional extra doughnut for him. He usually comes and finds a court room that is running and sits in until its done, coffee in hand.
I am a Law Clerk. We are at-will employees of our Judges. Hand-picked by the Judges to be responsible for our court rooms and dockets. What was once only considered a short-term position for aspiring law students (to get prepared for the big-bad world ahead), is now open to all legal professionals as a full-time position. I was one of the first to be hired in this capacity. When my Boss was elected, he accepted resumes from many different applicants at many different levels in their careers. Alas, I was the last woman standing. And I am forever grateful and appreciative everyday.
I love this place. All of its quirks, and its smells, and its people. Its old and outdated and kind of germy. At least one of the elevators is broken or stuck.
I didn't know if I would ever get to be in a place where I would have a job that I truly loved. But, I did. Muni is my home.
