I will admit that it was my first time to witness a trial in my entire life.

Before we entered the

Regional Trial Court, I felt agitated yet cautious because I dont know what will happen if I
didnt calm myself because of excitement and can cause some unnecessary scenes. The woman
who assisted us asked us to leave our bags in their office and turn off our cellphones or let it in
silent mode. She also explained us some instructions before the trial and I assumed that this trial
and all other trials were very delicate and systematize.
I confirmed that my assumption was right because at the start of the trial until the last case that
we have observed, they are stick to the procedures that they must do. When the judge arrived, the
hearing was started by an opening prayer. Then, the woman who assisted us, read and announced
the case, the reason why the defendant was accused and after that the judge will asked questions
to the defendant if she/he was guilty and asked also the police who caught the defendant for
some details and the judge will announced the dates for the next hearing. This process is being
applied to all cases except to those cases that are being under the promulgation.
I also observed that besides the judge, there are also three persons who are in front of us. The
woman who assisted us before the trial was among the three and she was the one who read the
cases. The other two were the one who acted as secretaries, they are typing what the judge was
saying and documenting the minutes of the trial. Behind us are the defendants, who spent days
and nights in jail and the policemen. They were going in front if their case was being announced
or they are being called for interrogation.
I am pleased by their effort of accommodating us, the students observant, during the trial.
Though the hearing was being taking seriously, the atmosphere of the scene became somehow
light. During the trial, the judge announced and recognized our presence in the hearing and

before we left the scene, she also thanked us and invited us again to observe another trial in
October which all the cases were under promulgation. The friendly policemen answered us our
questions regarding the cases of those defendants and help us to understand that flow of the
hearing. There is also an officer and an attorney who also assisted us to informed the judge that
we will not going to finished observing the other cases due to time constraint.
The two main accusations why those defendants on that day were being caught and jailed are
robbery and accusations that are related to drugs. My body crippled in astonishment when I
heard those accusations while seeing those faces and imagined some scenes. I was wondering at
that time why they were in this kind of situation. A lot of them plead that they are not guilty and
I am not sure if I should believe in those words or not. But I believe in the power of justice and
hope that truth unveils itself as long as it being sought sincerely and cleanly.
To sum it all, my first experience as an observant of a trial will be one of my memorable
experience as a person and as a citizen of my country. It gained me not only the knowledge about
the trial itself but also the eagerness of living my life as a good citizen of my country by
following the laws by heart.