USA: Anissa Hernandez (A New Experience)
A New Experience: Anissa’s Court Hearing Experience
Growing up in a low-income neighborhood on Milwaukee’s south side, I never imagined I would find myself in a room with some of the nation’s top figures. However, on October 15, 2025, I attended a Supreme Court hearing. I was able to attend because the Court recently introduced an online lottery system for public seating at oral arguments. I submitted multiple applications through a link on the Court’s website, with deadlines four weeks before each session and notifications sent by email three weeks in advance. The Supreme Court building is adjacent to my classroom and just a 17-minute walk from my apartment. Today, the Montana Attorney General’s Office defended a Montana Supreme Court decision in court. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen attended the arguments with Solicitor General Christian Corrigan, who represented the state. The cases William Trevor Case v. State of Montana and Montana v. United States focused on whether law enforcement could enter premises without a warrant in emergencies if they reasonably believed someone was in danger.
Upon arriving, my roommates and I went through security, presented IDs, showed tickets, and received wristbands, which we displayed to an officer guiding us into the Court’s cafeteria. We waited eagerly for instructions, and after 40 minutes, an officer explained that no technology or outside clothing, like hats or jackets, were allowed inside the courtroom. Surprisingly, I couldn’t take my notepad with printed pages; it had to be blank paper or an empty notebook. We then lined up, were escorted outside, and underwent additional security checks. Eventually, we stood in rows outside the courtroom, waiting for the first case to finish. However, it ran over time, delaying the start of the second case from 11 am to nearly 1 pm. An officer then guided me to my seat. I entered the hearing and watched the defense present its opening arguments. I was amazed to be inside the small, intimate courtroom, with limited seating and long, red curtains. Sitting in the back row, I struggled to hear because many justices spoke softly. I quickly looked around to identify the justices and focus on their discussions. I noticed some sat upright with elbows on the table, others rocked in their chairs, and some slouched.
The court debated whether the ’emergency aid’ exception should be based on a broad reasonableness standard or on specific legal thresholds like probable cause. After the state’s closing arguments, as the justices got up to leave, the audience stood to honor them, and we exited. I splurged at the gift shop and looked one long last look inside, wondering when I’d be in there again.
Anissa Dayanara Hernández Ruiz
Major: Legal Studies & Political Science
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin