April 27th 2023 at the U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York at Downtown Brooklyn

we saw two cases at the court. one called USA v Belliotti and another called USA V Acevedo. The first case we saw was a drug trafficking case. The second one we saw was a murder case involving gang violence. I found the second case (USA V Acevedo) more interesting. It surprised me how small details could make such a big difference in a case. One example is how the witness on the stand stated how one of the gang members’ chains were stolen, which led to conflict, and also stated how liking an Instagram post caused a violent ordeal. I also noticed a white board next to the witness containing many photos of men who are involved in the case as well. As I walked into the courtroom for the second trial, I felt the energy shift from the previous one. The second courtroom we visited had a more serious feel to it and many of the lawyers, judge, and jury looked more serious in the last courtroom. This trip definitely affected my view of the law a little. When I watch shows like Law and Order, things seem to be a little more dramatic but I’m glad I had the opportunity to see a realistic trial taking place.