Decorah residents got a first-hand look at how a murder trial operates

Dick Dovenberg got a first-hand look at the way a first degree murder trial is run

Not many of us have watched a first degree murder trial in person.  So several Decorah residents spent some time during the Alex Fazzino murder trial at the Winneshiek County Courthouse, watching the criminal justice system in operation.

Dick Dovenberg spent a good part of one week watching the Fazzino trial near the end.  "I didn't know what to expect," he tells decorahnews.com.  But what he saw left him impressed.  "I think it shows the judicial system works," he said (prior to the verdict being announced).

Dovenberg says while there were a few slow times during the testimony, "I haven't been bored once."  And he says the reality of a courtroom trial is much more intense than can ever be shown on reality TV.

Bruce Schuman attended one day of testimony.  He says it was "interesting to see how the court system works."  The day he heard testimony was the day a "forensic psychiatrist" testified--a job classification he didn't even know existed.  He said he enjoyed watching the operations of the court.