tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post7392976446976863730..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Sentencing Tuesday in Criminal Jurisprudence, Part TwoGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-78809369629963512402007-03-21T07:28:00.000-05:002007-03-21T07:28:00.000-05:00Have you priced ankle bracelets lately? Easily 2/...Have you priced ankle bracelets lately? Easily 2/3 of my misdemeanors are unemployed or are trying to support families on yard work or fast food. Since they don't have DLs, if they drive to work, they're toast.<BR/><BR/>We use AA; however, our group does not like to sign the court sheet, as that means a person at the meeting loses anonymity. <BR/><BR/>I know - I sound like a whiner. I'm not. I do the best I can to "see justice done" in my community, often working with defendants without counsel and trying to be fair. Ignition interlock kills them - the closest place to get one is over 100 miles round trip, and their cars won't get there - if they ahve the money for the gas.<BR/><BR/>There are a lot of us out here trying to work with people charged with crimes in the spirit of HB 1075; many of us have judges who also care. However, we are required to work with what the Lege passes. Sure, there are bad prosecutors, bad defense attorneys, bad anything you wish to name - but - don't tar all of us with the same brush.<BR/><BR/>In the same vein, when drafting answers for metropolitan areas, remember the low population, low income third of the state that happens to be west of I-35!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-59084906612264505782007-03-20T16:58:00.000-05:002007-03-20T16:58:00.000-05:00How about monitoring with ankle devices, probation...How about monitoring with ankle devices, probation, and AA meetings until they can recite the twelve steps in their sleep?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-15176450303639312552007-03-20T14:05:00.000-05:002007-03-20T14:05:00.000-05:00Sorry, guys - a lot of us believe in rehab, but - ...Sorry, guys - a lot of us believe in rehab, but - it doesn't exist in rural Texas! You all must be from the metro areas; we don't have boot camps, don't have CRTCs - all we have are the jails....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-36405946179406919452007-03-20T11:18:00.000-05:002007-03-20T11:18:00.000-05:00Tell you what, Scott, either judges and prosecutor...Tell you what, Scott, either judges and prosecutors are "jaded" and don't believe in rehabilitation and are therefore sending people to jail who otherwise wouldn't be there (so the legislature wills, apparently) or the judges and prosecutors own stock in prison building companies!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-41771615236440289222007-03-20T10:19:00.000-05:002007-03-20T10:19:00.000-05:00There are some very good, fair judges in Texas; th...There are some very good, fair judges in Texas; then there are those who are strickly there to see how mean they can be and think this makes them look big in what was once considered a man's job.<BR/><BR/>One Judge came into court and made the statement,"I feel like sending someone to jail today, who is first!" Now tell me how fair this Judge is going to be? Not at all. Her only concern is to be a big dog in what used to be considered a man's job. <BR/><BR/>She nearly lost the election this time and with any luck maybe she will not win the next time. Texas does not need to be represented by Judges who are strickly out for themselves and don't care about the person whose life is in her hands. In some courts the person is considered guilty before the trial begins and the Judge and DA's office get together to make the decision before the trial starts. The DA's office also needs a thourough cleaning and hopefully this will soon happen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-8360534464059917342007-03-20T06:52:00.000-05:002007-03-20T06:52:00.000-05:00Where is the funding for misdemeanor treatment? W...Where is the funding for misdemeanor treatment? West of I-35, it doesn't exist. Rural probation for drug offenders involves minimal counseling or treatment because it isn't out here. If the lege isn't willing to fund it, the county jail is the only treatment facility available to judges. After all, supposedly the drugs aren't available there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-16324981335641019712007-03-20T06:20:00.000-05:002007-03-20T06:20:00.000-05:00I'd say this is the closest to the truth: "they've...I'd say this is the closest to the truth: "they've become jaded and, in their hearts, given up on the concept of rehabilitation"<BR/><BR/>Basically they disagreed with the change in the law and used every loophole at their disposal to avoid implementing it, substituting their judgment for the Legislature's similar to <A HREF="http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2007/02/report-das-defy-legislature-over.html" REL="nofollow">what some DAs did on handguns in cars</A>. best,Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-66745101827562989352007-03-20T04:25:00.000-05:002007-03-20T04:25:00.000-05:00Scott,I searched and searched through prior posts ...Scott,<BR/><BR/>I searched and searched through prior posts but ultimately didn't find exactly what I was looking for. I know you must be terribly busy with leg stuff, but answer this if you have a sec. What would possess a prosecutor or judge to send some low level offender to the Harris County Jail when the intent of the law is to do otherwise. Presumably, they scoured the law looking for that loophole they've been exploiting? I mean, what's the psychology there? Are they so frustrated with their inability to get the big offenders that pounding the little offenders with unnecessary jail time gives them some sort of strange satisfaction? Or, do you think they've become jaded and, in their hearts, given up on the concept of rehabilitation? Because, presumably, prosecutors and judges are paying taxes, too. I guess that I think they have become jaded by dealing with crime day in and day out. As a taxpayer, I'd truly, truly, truly rather see finite jail space reserved for the Ted Bundy types. Small time pot users are usually sleepy and unmotivated. Let them stay at home in their bedrooms with little ankle monitors, you know?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com