Creative Writing: The County CourthouseWhen we are young, most of us are somewhat naive. We are inherently taught thatgood will always triumph over evil. A courthouse is the forum where evil shouldbe dealt with. But, in reality, this is seldom the case. The county courthouse looks like a typical courthouse. The courthouse itselflooks like a place where justice is served.
It is a Romanesque building, threestories high, with large pillars in the front. Ivy grows up one side of thebuilding. The green grass in the courtyard is immaculately kept. The UnitedStates flag flies high above the building. Etched in stone on the front wall ofthe courthouse are the words” truth, justice, and liberty.
” This is a placewhere one should feel truly safe. As I walk inside the cold and quiet building, a young woman is talking with thecircuit court clerk. She is very innocent looking, with blond hair and a petitefigure. She seems to be getting more upset by the second. The young lady finallyerupts, yelling and almost crying.
Her ex-husband has not paid her child supportin a month, and she cannot buy diapers for her baby. The clerk tells her thatnobody can do anything about it until he is six months behind in his support. After five more minutes of intense arguing, the young lady, now engulfed intears, leaves. The clerk shrugs and turns around.
The building seems colder upstairs. There almost seems to be a dampness in theair. Down a corridor there are empty offices and paintings of important lookingpeople. I recognize two of them as Washington and Jefferson. In between them isa copy of the constitution.
As I read it I chuckle, and wonder if thisgovernment is really what they had in mind. Farther down the hall I hear voices. The general court is in session. Inside thecourtroom, a scruffy-looking man is in front of the judge. He has been chargedwith public intoxication and resisting arrest. He does not seem nervous; he hasprobably done this before.
I assume he will be put in jail for a little while,at the least. The judge tells the man that he does not want to see him in courtagain. The man assures the judge that he will not be back. With the bang of agavel, the judge gives him a five dollar fine, plus court costs. The manstumbles out of the courtroom already looking half drunk again.
As I walk out of the courtroom, the courthouse seems colder than ever. This isnot a place where truth, justice, and liberty prevail. It is a place of tragedy. A place where innocent people suffer because of the system, and where guiltypeople walk free because of it.
