STRATEGIC INITIATIVE
Court Watch
The United States Constitution guarantees public access to courts. But many citizens find that courts aren’t accessible. Just City encourages public accountability through volunteer observation.
The Just City Court Watch program offers an opportunity for members of the public to visit Shelby County criminal courtrooms and to observe, document, and report what’s really happening.
Just City Court Watch volunteers are trained to observe and take notes on the decisions, words, and action of judges, attorneys, prosecutors, accusers, and those accused of crimes. We equip them to know what to expect, what to look for, and how to respond if they get pushback from court personnel.
The intent of the Court Watch program is to encourage transparency, accountability, and community participation in the work of criminal justice reform.
A SINGLE SHELBY COUNTY JUDGE ADDRESSING ACCUSED PEOPLE
“If you relapse, I care nothing, you get no grace from me. If you relapse, or get back on drugs in any way, I want you in a cage”
“What else am I going to do besides lock you in a cage to make you behave?”
“We’re building prisons as fast as we can for people like you.”
What we’ve done:
Trained 100 Court Watch volunteers who are ready to observe and take notes in Shelby County courtrooms.
Worked with 25 law students who have participated in the Court Watch program from the University of Memphis School of Law and the Vanderbilt University Law School.
Engaged with 35 local high school students who have participated in the Court Watch program.
Watched more than 1,000 total court cases.
Obtained more than 200 hours of court watch time.
Watched 17 individual judges hold court.
How we can change it for good:
Even though open courts are foundational to a democratic society, the criminal legal system operates largely outside of public view. We believe Court Watch is a good first-step in shedding light on that system. A more transparent system is one that is more likely to be held accountable.
Court Watch also helps educate the community ahead of criminal justice system elections, which typically suffer from a lack of meaningful information about the candidates and low voter turnout.
OBSERVATIONS from our latest cOURT WATCH rubric
One Shelby County Judge continually questions—and sends Sheriff’s deputies to question—Just City volunteers about why they are in the courtroom.
A Shelby County Prosecutor identified himself to court watchers and expressed his gratitude for the watchers’ presence. He thanked them for their services and offered to answer any questions.
Twice in one month, court watchers were told they could not observe in a Judge’s courtroom due to lack of space. In both instances, there was plenty of open seating in the courtroom.