The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent David H. during the 2008-2009 League.
Mission: Observe - Local Trial
On February 17, 2009, I went to the Kent County courthouse to hear a sentencing session of the 17th Circuit Court by the Honorable Donald A. Johnston.
It was my first courtroom experience and I was very fascinated by the process. In respect of the convicted identities, I will only use their initials in this summary.
The first case dealt with the sentencing of Mr. T. R. He was convicted of making inappropriate sexual advances to an undercover officer. This police officer was investigating complaints from other victims who accused him of inappropriate actions on a wooded path. He was sentenced to pay $1,320 in fines and 200 hours of community service. Because of his clean record with the exception of a drunken driving charge, Judge Johnston was willing to give Mr. T.R. a second chance.
The next case concerned the sentencing of Mr. C.V. He was convicted of stealing a rifle on March 18, 2008 from his grandfather and pawning it for $150. Secondly, he was charged for stealing tools from a friend on August 11, 2008 and pawning them for $180. In both cases the victims had to buy back their possessions.
When put on probation, he failed to appear to pre-sentence interviews and fill-out the preliminary report because he lived in Clarksville. However, he is enrolled in the M-TECH program at Grand Rapids Community College and asked for a work release so that he might continue with school if sentenced to prison time. Instead, he was sentenced to probationary supervision along with fines, and a warning of jail time if he does not listen to the probation officer.
The last sentencing I heard was the case of a domestic violence charge against Mr. P.W. On October 9, 2008, he wanted to use his girlfriend’s car while drunk. When she refused, he assaulted her, took the keys and drove her around for awhile. She was finally able to get away and call police. Even though he is just a young man, Mr. W. has a long criminal history including: providing false information to police, larceny, and driving with a suspended license. He has been in jail for the past 10 days due to the upfront sentence of 18 days in jail for the assault. Instead of hearing the request for probation, Judge Johnston sentenced him to three months in county jail. His previous jail time was credited to his sentence.
In each case, I gained a deeper insight to the American judicial system. I was impressed by the way Judge Johnston handled the cases and, in my opinion, sentenced fairly. The experience was a positive one and I hope to return again to listen to more cases.
