I. The Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles.

Visit the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles at http://www.lasuperiorcourt.org/, and take a virtual tour of the courtroom. Answer the following questions about the personnel who work in the court:

1			What kind of stenographic machine does the Court Reporter use? How many keys does it have?
2			For which law enforcement agency do Court Bailiffs work?
3			Whose responsibility is it to prepare the official written transcript of the trial?
4			Who arranges for interpreters to assist the court?
5			What are the educational requirements to be a court clerk?
6			How long is the term of office for trial judge in California?
7			Now review the Felony Bail Schedule for the Superior Court. What is the presumptive bail on a charge of voluntary manslaughter?
8			What is the presumptive bail on a charge of escape or attempted escape from prison with force or violence?
9			If no presumptive bail is specified, how is bail set?

II. Performers at the Bar of Justice: Federal Judges and Lifetime Appointment.

10			As discussed in Chapter 11, federal judges receive lifetime appointments to their positions. As long as they hold their office "in good behavior" (a vague expression at best), they cannot be fired, demoted, or otherwise removed from the bench. They cannot have their salaries withheld or reduced. Since they are not elected, as are most state judges, they cannot be voted out of office by the people. The only way to remove a federal judge from office against his or her will is by impeachment, a rarely exercised action. Theoretically, a federal judge could continue to hold office even if he were too senile to find his own courtroom. Is this system a good idea? Why do you think that the Constitution specifically provides for lifetime appointment of federal judges? If you had the power to change the system, would you, or would you leave it as it is? What are the advantages of lifetime appointment? What are the disadvantages? Write an essay in which you respond to the questions posed in the preceding paragraph.