The New York Supreme court house to be specific. I'm writing a book where a detective is good friends with a judge. When you first enter what do you see? Who do you see? What is the smell? How do you get to a judge's chambers? Etc

It's not likely that any Board members have practiced before any state's Supreme Court, been a party in those courts, or been in their visitor galleries. The web should contain much of the info you seek.

I suggest you go for yourself and get your own impressions.

Take the subway (#4,5,6, or J,M,Z line) to around Chambers Street or the Brooklyn Bridge stop. Walk a few short blocks to #60 Centre Street. You'll see the court building is the same as the steps on which Barzini was shot in "The Godfather".

You can go in and see for yourself what the inside is like.

I worked in one of the court buildings near there while I was on summer break from high school. It's a wonderful area to visit and I always suggest a great place to go on a cheap date. Chinatown is a very short distance away and you can eat like a king for less than ten dollars. After dinner you can go to night court (free) and watch some of the proceedings.

SC,

Slightly off topic. The first timed I was in NYC I went to the court steps the Law & Order intro was filmed. If I remember correctly though, it wasn't a court in real life. Was it a library???? I forgot.


TIS


As far as entering the court, I imagine if you're entering as the criminal/defendant it's pretty tense.

I don't watch the show and I'm not familiar with the show's opening.

Thanks SC, Thanks Olivant, and to IS, i'm sure it is lol. All of your information is gratified, I assure you all. I was just trying to get the feel of a court house, I know it would be regular for my detective who has been on the job for over 12 years.

All the more reason to go to the courthouse. It's not too far of a subway ride, and you'll get a TRUE feeling that will make it easier to write about. It may be only a small part of your story but you can have a lot of fun researching the smaller details and it MAY give you some extra material to write about.

Don't rush through your story. It's a work of your art ... you want to do it right.

Thanks SC, your a real consigliere. I wish you was mines.

By the way, your original post stated "Supreme Court". In most states, a supreme court is an appeals court, usually the last one (New York is one exception because its felony trial courts are called supreme courts). The procedures of trial courts and appeals court are decidely different, so make sure you know which one you are visiting.