Because most trainees volunteer once a week, it often takes up to three months for the trainee to receive certification and a CourtWatch badge. When the trainees have an understanding of the basic proceedings and can complete the forms without assistance they receive their CourtWatch Badge, and become recognized CourtWatchers. CourtWatchers are instructed not to follow a case, rather they are to observe a half-day session each week in a different courtroom setting. This is another means of promoting objectivity. We feel CourtWatchers will be less involved with cases if they observe only a portion.
Monitors are there to evaluate the system and participants at that session only.
In some longer cases they, of course, may attend the same case more than once. Throughout the year CourtWatch holds continuing educational workshops. The purpose of these workshops is to reinforce the goals of the program, to iron out the flaws, to further educate the CourtWatchers and to share information that would improve their efforts. Special speakers are invited to further inform the volunteers. In this current Report 49 CourtWatchers spent between three and eight hours a day in the courtroom for a total of 1634 hours.