Walking in a straight line might seem like an easy task, but add a little alcohol and it can become a challenging task.
Visitors to the Nanaimo Courthouse Saturday morning got a peak into the affects alcohol has on the system when they donned a pair of Fatal Vision glasses that simulate different intoxication levels.
Christina Ruscoff tried the glasses and said it was much more difficult to walk the line than she thought it would be, adding it felt like she had no idea where she was.
“I think [people who drink and drive] would have to be really stupid,” said Ruscoff.
Her friend Emily Koot also tried the glasses and said “it’s crazy to think that there are people driving like that”.
Desiree Pombert also tried the glasses, as did her children, and said she couldn’t even see where she was going.
Pombert brought her family to the courthouse Saturday during the special open house to celebrate Law Day. Visitors got to tour the cells, watch an RCMP presentation on drugs in the community, attend the trial of the Big Bad Wolf and view an RCMP K-9 unit demonstration.
However, people don’t have to wait for Law Day to visit the courthouse. The courthouse is also home to the city’s law library, which is open to the public Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Janet Howey, branch manager, said librarians can help guide people to the information they seek, adding there are several databases that people can use and all the materials.
Law Day helps increase awareness about the library and its availability for people to access, Howey said.
“People don’t think about the law until they need it,” she said. “More and more people are self-representing themselves – no lawyers – and the law library can help them.”
The public can also sit in on trials and watch how the legal system works.
But David Stanley, who attended the open house, said it can be a little intimidating to go into the courthouse.
“I’ve always been curious about what happens in here,” he said. “Now that I’ve been in here, I feel more confident to come in on a different occasion.”
He said people should check out their local courthouse and he plans on attending trials to get a better understanding of how the legal system and what is going on in the local courts.
To contact the Nanaimo courthouse library, please call 250-741-3870.
