All of these courts generally are open for visits by students as well as the public. It should be noted, however, that juvenile proceedings are often closed. Teachers should inquire directly of the local probate judge whether these visitations are permitted. Teachers may request copies of previous court dockets to review with members of their classes prior to the visit. This familiarization with dockets will pay big dividends in understanding once the actual visit begins.
Timing is important in planning an educational court visit.
Days when preliminary examinations are being conducted are good days because they compress the presentation of the facts of a case into a relatively short time span. Jury selection is an interesting process which helps demonstrate key points in the system. Civil infractions and trafhc violations, cases often heard in District Courts, demonstrate how the system works while dramatizing human failings, frailties and sometimes even heroics. For mature students, involuntary commitment hearings in Probate Court are instructive and revealing. Avoid motion day.