SIGHTS
Gleaming polished wood (paneled walls, the bench and witness stand, chairs, tables, doors, lectern), a small desk for the court reporter and court clerk, the bar (a wooden railing or barrier separating the proceedings from the gallery benches), a jury box off to the side filled with jurors, a black-robed judge wielding a gavel, a bailiff standing at attention to keep order, desk microphones, reporters, camera crews (in high-profile cases, unless the proceedings are closed), a witness box, federal and state flags, a clock on the wall, tagged bags of evidence, posters or slideshows that detail aspects of the scene, crime scene photos, closed circuit television, desks for the plaintiff and the defendant, a door leading to the judge’s chamber, a wide central corridor in the gallery seating area for the witnesses to be brought down, highly secure windows (or none at all), files and paperwork, laptops, a projector and screen, video courtroom testimony, an easel for presenting evidence, remotes for audio equipment, well-dressed lawyers pleading their cases, family members and friends in the gallery (clutching hands tightly, holding onto purses, covering their mouths, crying, nervously fingering jewelry, listening intently), members of the public and law students observing the proceedings and taking notes
SOUNDS
Fans, the whooshing sound of air conditioning or heaters, gurgling pipes in the walls, traffic or sirens outside, people shifting in seats, wooden chairs and benches creaking, the rustle of papers, testimony being given, footsteps across the polished floor as the prosecutor or defense attorney addresses the court and questions witnesses, throat clearing, coughing, sniffing and quiet sobbing, the clink of chains if the defendant is secured by ankle cuffs, feedback from the microphones, a creaky gate in the bar, the rustle of fabric, audio evidence (taped phone calls, a security video, a 911 call), whispering, the judge’s pounding gavel, the gentle tapping of keys from the court reporter’s box, reactive gasps at evidence or testimony, doors opening and closing
SMELLS
Treated wood (lacquer, polishes, varnish), pine or lemon cleaner, stale air and closed room smells (sweat, perfume, hair products and cologne all mingling in the air), a neighbor’s coffee breath, overheating electronics
TASTES
Water, tears, mints, a dry mouth, cough drops
TEXTURES AND SENSATIONS
A hard wooden seat, arms brushing against spectators seated to either side, a crumpled tissue held in a tight fist, nervous gestures (fiddling with a key fob, zipper tab, watch, a piece of jewelry), tells that indicate one’s emotional state (clenching one’s hands, fingernails biting into one’s palms, rubbing at one’s face, pinching the bridge of the nose, wiping at tears, biting a lip, shaking extremities, rigid posture that leads to tight muscles and a sore neck), a hard wooden floor underfoot as one walks to the witness stand, metal cuffs that irritate one’s wrists, a flush creeping up one’s skin at the realization that an entire courtroom is watching, sorting through papers and files, the tight cling of plastic gloves when handling evidence, rolling a pen between one’s fingers, a cold glass in one’s palm, sweat dripping down one’s back and sides in an airless courtroom, crossing and uncrossing one’s legs, fingering a cherished item in one’s pocket, squeezing a loved one’s hands as the verdict is read, the shoulders dropping and a heaviness in the stomach as a guilty verdict is read, a lightening sensation in the chest as a loved one is exonerated
POSSIBLE SOURCES OF CONFLICT
A hung jury
Antagonistic witnesses
A biased judge
Escape attempts
A victim responding angrily or violently when justice is not served
Witnesses who commit perjury
A bomb or chemical threat
Power outages
PEOPLE COMMONLY FOUND HERE
Court recorders, criminals, judges, jury members, law students and other members of the public, lawyers, police officers, psychologists or field experts called in to give testimony, reporters, security personnel, victims and their family members, witnesses
RELATED SETTINGS THAT MAY TIE IN WITH THIS ONE
Juvenile detention center, police car, police station, prison cell
SETTING NOTES AND TIPS
The size of a courthouse and the type of proceedings the room typically handles will influence the setting. For example, a courthouse used to hearing high-profile cases for capital offences may actually have bulletproof boxes for the accused, as well as enhanced security. This would differ from a small town courthouse that typically deals with smaller, misdemeanor offences.
SETTING DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
In the gallery, watchers grew quiet, their fans going still in the humid air as Ellis Laruso entered the prisoner’s box. He flashed a smile as bright as his orange jumpsuit and around the room, heads shook and hands covered mouths to catch sobs. This young man, the governor’s son from Kentucky who poisoned an elementary school’s drinking water, was a monster.
Techniques and Devices Used: Contrast, simile
Resulting Effects: Characterization, tension and conflict