Through each revision of this novel, I’ve been trying to make things more and more realistic. The plot revolves around a murder, so I’ve been doing a bit of research into our legal system out here and trying to figure out how exactly the police would have investigated a murder in rural Sask. in 2002.
The Internet only goes so far, especially since I’m sure the RCMP’s procedures have changed in the last nine years. Fortunately, I know a former RCMP officer who is willing to indulge me. She’s been very helpful in figuring out what’s realistic and what isn’t.
(Interesting note – she says that in her experience, many people will end up confessing their crimes directly to the police. They might be bragging, or they might not mean to tell the whole story, but often it all comes out. For some reason, this surprised me).
I also needed to see what the provincial court in Lloyd looked like, so I took a trip last week. Here were my impressions:
- T-bar ceiling, industrial grey carpet with flecks of blue, purple and pink in it.
- 32 plastic chairs in the court room. Four rows of eight on each side.
- The clerk’s desk, just below the judge’s desk, reminded me of my cubicle at my old job. Computer, office supplies (whiteout, pens, post-its) everywhere. She had a shelving unit built on to her desk.
- Picture of the queen directly behind the judge, who sat at a raised desk.
- Canadian and Saskatchewan flags in the courtroom, flanking the judge’s desk.
- The prosecutor and an RCMP officer sat on the right. They had two large tables, that were covered in file folders (case files for the defendants). They were organizing them just prior to court starting.
- The RCMP officer read the charges in each file. She also kept track of court dates as they were set and made sure there were no scheduling conflicts for RCMP that had to testify.
- The judge looked a little bored sometimes – picked at his teeth or turned around to stare at the Queen (I had to keep myself from giggling). However, he really pushed for the young offenders to get a lawyer, which I appreciated.
The morning I watched wasn’t the most exciting, to be honest. The judge handed out a few fines and issued a quite a few warrants for people who didn’t show up. Lots of moving or setting trial dates. There were a few people in custody that had been brought up from Saskatoon. They briefly appeared in this glass, closed-off section, then were escorted back to the cells. One woman clinked while she walked, so I assumed she had restraints around her legs – flight risk?
But this was really what I needed to see. How the system works, in all its mundane glory. I’m a Law and Order junkie, and even the arraignments tend to be a bit dramatic on t.v. I’m sure the courthouse in Lloyd can be dramatic at times, but it was good to see a regular morning where everyone was being civil and reasonable.
There were little moments, though, where I got a bit of a sense of the struggles some people face. The judge would always ask people if they had anything to say before he gave them a fine or probation, and often people would explain how they ended up committing the crime. Others offered no explanation, simply pleading guilty. One guy explained that he had been suffering from depression. He didn’t use it as an excuse, he was simply open about it. It made me think about how some of us get off track in life.
Building a Novel 