Visit the 38th District Court

In order for your group to visit the 38th District Court, the following policies must be observed:

  1. Group size is limited to twenty-five (25).
  2. Groups must be supervised at all times. This can be with a teacher, an instructor or a parent.
  3. All groups shall pass through metal detection screening.  Cell phones and all electronic recording devices are prohibited.
  4. When entering courthouse or courtroom , please do so in a quiet, orderly fashion.
  5. No food or drinks are allowed in the courtroom.
  6. Groups are required to be here promptly at their scheduled time.
  7. The Teacher, instructor or parent will check in at the front counter.
  8. Court personnel will direct where group seating will be in courtroom.
  9. No tours are given of the courthouse for security purposes.
  10. Every attempt will be made to try to match what type of case is scheduled to what the group has an interest in. However, what is scheduled sometimes is changed without prior notice.
 Please review the "Courtroom Visits--A Guide for Teachers and Court Officials", produced by the State Bar of Michigan.

Visiting Schedule Form

Please provide the 38th District Court with three (3) dates your group would be able to attend

What Visitors May Expect

  1. Visitors deserve to be openly and courteously welcomed to their court. A designated representative of the court should meet them to provide the assistance needed to make the visit meaningful and educational. The office of the court clerk usually handles this assignment.
  2. Visitors may expect background information on the court they are visiting. This usually consists of a verbal presentation or printed materials such as a brochure describing the court plus a list of cases scheduled. The simpler the language of these materials, the greater the educational impact. "Legalese" won’t do the job.
  3. Visitors expect to be able to observe and hear the proceedings.

SUCCESS TIPS

Students should always be required to react to the experience of a visit with some kind of a project. Things  like: A report, summary of activities, a newspaper article, or simple notes should be encouraged to insure close attention to the proceedings.

Dress and demeanor should be appropriate to the decorum of the courtroom. School "colors" are not recommended and quiet is vital. The judge is always addressed as "Your Honor" and the audience stands when the judge enters and leaves the courtroom. This respect is adopted by the court, not necessarily to any individual judge, but to the entire system.

In large courts, such as the 3rd Judicial Circuit Court for Wayne County, many cases are proceeding concurrently and if a delay or recess should occur, visitors are free to move to another courtroom. This leave-taking, should be done only during a break in testimony or a recess.