This semester I have been interning at the District Attorney's Office in Eau Claire. I have had a lot of fun in my internship and have gotten to witness a lot of interesting things while working. In my month that I have been here so far I have really learned a lot. Here is what I have learned as an intern for the DA.
1. Cases are complicated
While reading about a case in the paper or online it probably seems very simple at face value but that just isn't how it is. So much work goes into these cases from writing a complaint, to deciding if there will be a plea deal, to getting discovery, and many other steps. Even trials can go from being on one day to the next. It isn't as simple as what one reads in the paper and a lot of work goes into cases even if they don't go to trial.
2. This country has a huge drug problem
No matter where you live you probably hear this statement all the time and think nothing of it. I was the same way too and on my first day at my internship, I was shocked by how many things start off as one thing and end up being a drug case and by the number of people tied up with very dangerous drugs. Furthermore, this problem has nothing to do with the criminalization of drugs per say but how many people are using and selling.
It leads to the question of what can be done to stop this problem? And from what I have learned I don't think the answer will be a simple solution. There will need to be multiple agencies on different levels involved to stop this problem.
3. Everyone is different
ile this isn't a shocking revelation it's the way that it changes your thinking that helps you learn. The more you read in depth about cases the more you see how some people get mixed up with the wrong people or are there because of a bad situation and how some people are just pure evil. It makes the already complicated justice system even more complicated because you can no longer just look at the crime but have to look at the person themselves and determine how much of a danger are they to themselves and others. A lot of times the media tries to put people in cookie cutter situations but that really isn't how things truly work in the courts.
4. Judges and lawyers aren't the way they are portrayed on TV
While some may seem like it at times plenty of judges and lawyers are the complete opposite of what we see on TV. The prosecutors, at least in my county, aren't judgemental hungry heartless people. They are compassionate and want the best outcome for not only the victims but the defendants as well. Furthermore, the defense attorneys I have seen aren't empathetic people who are just here to win a case.
They are people who value the rights defendants are given and want to make sure that even if that person is guilty that they are still given their full human rights. Lastly, judges aren't just there to side with the state or be a roadblock as they sometimes are often portrayed on television. They are compassionate people who want to see the people that come before them become better.
Every time I have sat in on court I have seen the judges give advice and try to help people change rather than just give a sentence and be done. It is amazing how much care and compassion these people show on a daily basis that just isn't shown on the shows we watch about the law.
5. A lot more goes into sentencing than just what crime was committed
I think this is one of the most important lessons I have learned. Often times we read about a case and we think "how could that happen" or "that just isn't fair". But what we don't realize is that we are only reading what the media writes. We don't see the documents and evidence that the court or jury sees, we don't hear the testimony, we don't read the reports that doctors and experts in their fields write. We only hear what the crime was and if the person was sentenced.
Which honestly leads to people being given half of the information. From now on when I read case outcomes I want to have more of an open mind and try to understand why rather than just what. Because a lot more goes into deciding what sentence a person has than we as every day people can even imagine. It is a very complicated process and takes a lot into account that people who don't work on the case just don't have access to.
What are some lessons you have learned from your internship?
