Court

[BenJamin75]

How much time do you personally average in court per week? month?
Do you find it taking up a lot of your "free time"?

My friend that's a LEO works the 3:30pm - 11:30pm shift. When he has court he has to appear at 8:30am, and many times sits in court until his case(s) are finally called and many times doesn't get out of court until 11:30am.
There are times he will have court 4 times in a week, very often on days off.

For him, he's lucky to get home by midnight and has to relax some before going to bed. Then has to get up at 7am to shower, get back into uniform and get downtown for court. By the time he gets home from court he has a maximum of 3 hours to eat and do anything he needs to get done (go to bank, take kids somewhere, spend time with kids, go to gym etc.)

This type of schedule leaves little time for sleep or "a life".

Do you personally experience something like this? How do you deal with it?

[mcsap]

Depends on how many tickets you write and or how many arrests you make. The more you " do ", the more you will be in court. Keep in mind that most of us get overtime for sitting there.

And nobody goes to court every day. Some court appearances last 5 minutes ( def pleads guilty) and some can last all day after working all night etc. That is just part of the job.

[BenJamin75]

Depends on how many tickets you write and or how many arrests you make. The more you " do ", the more you will be in court. Keep in mind that most of us get overtime for sitting there.

And nobody goes to court every day. Some court appearances last 5 minutes ( def pleads guilty) and some can last all day after working all night etc. That is just part of the job.

First, thanks for the reply.

I do understand the more you "do" the more court, I know all about the overtime, and I made no claim that my friend had court EVERYDAY. The point of my example (all "worst case") was to make sure everyone knew what I was getting at with my questions.

The point of my post in "Ask a cop" was .....

How much time do you personally average in court per week? month?
Do you find it taking up a lot of your "free time"?
Do you personally experience something like this? How do you deal with it?

[Switchback]

No more court for me!!! WOoohooooo!


Well, except for an (rather rare) identity hearing or some other (very rare) testimony needed!

[mcsap]

As a supervisor, I don't make as many arrests so I don't spend as much time in court as I used to. When I was a patrolman, I would typically have one or two 30 minute hearings a week. Downtown court happens every other month for 2 weeks at a time and I almost always got a supboena but ended up going in maybe once for a few hours, depending on the case.

Sure, if I am off duty it take sup my time BUT it is part of the job and at my OT rate , I don't complain much.

It is part of my job like having to work different shifts, not getting off at the end of my shift because of an arrest or a important call etc. You know this up front and you either adjust to it or you don't last. If you stop a DUI 10 minutes before you are to go off, you can plan to be on duty an additional 1 to 2 hrs until you are cleared. That is life.

[bob95321]

Court?!? Hah!

You can't get a prosecuting attorney to take a case around here unless the defendant confesses AND you have witnesses.

What does a court room look like anyway? I always picture some kind of room with a bunch of people trying to out do each other with outrageous reasons of why defendants couldn't possibly be guilty.

[codered]

I agree with mc, in that how often one attends court depends on one's activity. I personally attend court 2 to 3 times a week , for anywhere from an hour to two.
Does it 'interfere'? hell yes, i typically work 1600 to 2400 hours , and have court at 0900......return to the house after court for a 'power nap', and return to the district at 1600.

How does one 'deal with it'? I just do exactly that. I'm blessed in that i can sleep anytime of the day or night, unlike many of my partners( i just worked overtime, after my typical shift this evening, and i have to be at work tomorrow at 1800, you learn to 'deal' with it).

[tcsd1236]

Court can vary. I will not have any court for months at a time, then I will have a series of trials in a relatively short time.