Standard Practices of the Magistrate Court Outline

Standard Practices of the Magistrate Court - Outline Example The main aim of this research presented in this outline was to determine if there is a specific combination of factors that leads to a ruling of guilty, or to a guilty plea. If there is such a combination, research should show what the factors are that make it up. Should there not be an identifiable pattern to guilty pleas, the data provided by this research should be able to point future researchers in the right direction. The methodology used by the researcher was Ethnographic Observation as this allowed the researcher to quietly observe the proceedings without altering those proceedings with their presence. Multiple cases were observed in several different courtrooms to allow for maximum opportunity of fully comprehensive data. At the end of the 3-week placement, the data was analyzed and evaluated for patterns of consistency. At the end of the 3-week placement period, the data gathered was to be analyzed for patterns of consistency in what age and gender groups are most frequentl y brought before the Magistrate Court, and on what charges they are brought forth. The conclusion reached at the end of this research was that lay magistrates, unable to lean on the legal training they do not have, are essentially forced to rely on tangible evidence presented to them in the courtroom. Although the tangible evidence they rely on may or may not have anything to do with the actual case, there is clear evidence that the defendant’s appearance in court influences the judgments handed down.