News Photo by Julie Riddle A screen shot taken Monday shows Ask the Judge videos created by Judge Aaron Gauthier of Presque Isle County’s 53rd Circuit Court.

ROGERS CITY — When Judge Aaron Gauthier of Presque Isle County’s 53rd Circuit Court decided to start a YouTube series if he ever hit 1,000 subscribers on his court channel, he figured that day would never come.

Then, online court access became a hit across the state as judges kept courtrooms public via video livestreams and YouTube recordings.

In 2020, Gauthier reported, 53rd Circuit Court hearings had 129,000 views from people catching a glimpse of what happens behind courtroom doors.

All those viewers might have questions, the judge reasoned.

During most virtual hearings, viewer comments are disabled. To give viewers a voice, Gauthier began a series of “Ask the Judge” videos, responding to viewers’ questions about why courts do the things they do and what goes into the decisions judges make.

Viewer comments are screened to weed out any that attack individuals who can’t respond, but questions about any court activity are welcomed. He’ll answer as many of them as he can via YouTube videos posted to his channel, Gauthier said.

Since January, Gauthier has explained what goes into felony sentencing decisions, what cases are heard in which courts, and how someone can be expected to pay restitution when they’re locked up and unable to work.

Viewers have posed other questions that may be fodder for future videos.

One wondered why defendants are offered a plea deal when they’ve already committed the same crime several times.

Another asked if a judge has the power to intervene if a defendant isn’t represented adequately by their attorney.

One, noting a set of paintings behind Gauthier in a video, asked if they were pictures of UFOs.

“The staff thought I was crazy,” Gauthier said of his video venture. “They said I was opening a can of worms.”

The more people understand how their courts work, though, the stronger a community gets, the judge said.

Some of the questions asked may lead to policy change. One viewer wondered why people assigned a court-appointed attorney are still charged an attorney fee at the conclusion of their case.

An outstanding question, Gauthier said — one he needs to ponder as he examines the fairness of the court’s rules and traditions.

Around the state, some judges have discontinued livestreaming as courtrooms increasingly open to the public. He hasn’t decided how long he’ll continue to put the court’s activities online, Gauthier said.

In the meantime, the Ask the Judge feature gives people a view inside what shouldn’t be a mystery, he said.

“If people know what’s happening, they can either be confident in their courts, or they can seek to advocate for smart changes,” Gauthier said. “Being in the dark about what happens with any branch of our government can’t be a good thing for the citizens.”