I recently had a scheduling conference with Magistrate Leo Brisbois. It was an interesting experience because there had originally been talk about trying to do it by phone but we ended up making the appearance in person. At the hearing, Judge Brisbois explained that he believes that whenever possible, hearings should always be in open court because it gives the public a chance to see what is going on.
He explained that it is not unusual to have people wander in to Federal Court and watch the activities that day. By having something for them to see and giving them a realistic look at what takes place, we do the best job of showing this part of government to average citizens.
In a busy law practice with a lot of things going on, a quick phone conference can seem a lot better than an open court appearance. But when you think about what we do as officers of the court, it really is a great idea. I have written in the past about my concerns security has had upon closing our public institutions to the public. This is an example of something that I hope more courts will consider and everybody involved will understand.
