A Glimpse into the Day-to-Day Work of the Judiciary: High School Student Theresa Figiel Reports on Her Visit to the Regional Court

On September 25, we, Class 8a, visited the Marburg Regional Court on Universitätsstraße as part of the “Youth and Crime” project, accompanied by our teacher, Dr. Claudia Röder. The visit was made possible by the father of one of our classmates, who works as a judge at the regional court; he also gave us a tour of the building and answered our questions. The date was chosen so that we would have the opportunity to observe a criminal trial.

We met at 8:10 a.m. at the courthouse on Universitätsstraße in the city center. Before the trial began, we had a little time to look around the building. This gave us the opportunity to see the holding cells. Defendants can be detained there on the day of their trial. These cells resemble prison cells, with a toilet, sink, table, and chair—though without a bed.

 

Inspection of ankle restraints and protective gear

Afterward, we spoke with a member of the security staff. Among other things, court officers are responsible for escorting and guarding prisoners in the courthouse. We were allowed to look at the equipment used for this purpose, such as handcuffs and leg irons, as well as the court officers’ protective gear.

Since the trial we wanted to attend was being held in a smaller courtroom, we took a look at the building’s largest courtroom—the jury courtroom—which was not in use that morning. It is a fairly large, high-ceilinged room, almost the size of a small gymnasium, and it also has a section for spectators. There were also many chairs for all the defendants and plaintiffs, along with their respective attorneys.

Shortly before the hearing, we took a look at a smaller courtroom at the regional court and then went to the district court shortly afterward, where the hearing took place.

The hearing was actually supposed to begin at 9 a.m. However, due to a road closure on the B3 caused by an accident, some of the participants—including the judge—were delayed, so the start of the hearing was postponed by one hour to 10 a.m.

 

Surveillance video from the crime scene

The criminal case heard in court involved a charge of aggravated assault and illegal possession of a weapon. The incident in question took place in Marburg in August 2022. The defendants were an 18-year-old at the time of the crime and his adoptive father. The younger of the two was accompanied by a lawyer. The plaintiff did not appear at the hearing. The trial was presided over by Juvenile Court Judge Kai Michel Dronka, and the prosecution was represented by the public prosecutor.

At the start of the trial, surveillance video from the crime scene was first reviewed, followed by an interrogation of the two defendants by the judge and the prosecutor. The younger defendant admitted to possessing the weapon; both described the physical altercation with the plaintiff as self-defense. In addition, two female witnesses were questioned; one refused to testify, while the second confirmed the defendants’ statements.

 

Penalty for Absence on the Day of the Hearing

After the questioning ended, a 15-minute break was scheduled. Since the hearing had started an hour later than planned, we didn’t have time to wait for the verdict and had to head back to school. Later at school, we learned that the older of the two defendants had not received a sentence. The younger one was sentenced to 80 hours of community service for illegal possession of a weapon. The plaintiff was also fined 300 euros or sentenced to three days in jail for being absent on the day of the hearing, because the judge did not accept his doctor’s note.

It was a very successful morning during which we were able to get a little insight into the day-to-day workings of the justice system and the courts. Just seeing the inside of the courthouse—which we’d otherwise only seen in photos in the newspaper—was interesting. Even though we had to head back to school before the verdict was handed down, the day was well worth it.

Photos were also taken during the visit that will serve as a memento of the day at the regional court.