CAFC

SughrueのアトーニにＣＡＦＣツアーに連れて行ってもらいました。JudgeのRichard Linnにお話しをお伺いして、３つあるコートルームのうちの中くらいの大きさの部屋に案内して頂きました。なんと裁判官席に座るのＯＫということで、座らせてもらいました！裁判官のお仕事は、読むか書くだそうです。１月１２～２０件の案件を処理するらしく、１件について読まなくてはいけない資料は膨大な量だそうです。裁判は通常３人で行われますが、裁判が始める前に彼らは決して話をしないそうです。裁判が終わって初めて意見交換するそうです。余計な先入観を持たないように。で、意見は、最も若い裁判官から発表するそうです。一番偉い人が先に意見を言ってしまうと、反対意見は言いにくいですものね。

An attorney of Sughrue took us (trainees) to the CAFC tour. We met Judge Richard Linn and talked to him, then he led us to a court room which is a middle size of the three court rooms in CAFC. The judge allowed us to sit on the judge’s chair, so we could sit on the chair! I felt as if I were a judge! The work of judge is reading and writing, he explained his work to us. The CAFC handles 12 to 20 cases in a month, and he should read many many documents for one case. A trial is usually handled by three judges, but they never talk to each other before starting a trial. Then they have the first discussion after trial in order not to have preconceptions. And the youngest judge should show his opinion first. The reason is that if the senior judge shows his opinion first, the youngest judge cannot show his opposite opinion.