I know there has been some talk about the judiciary committee and the recent public hearings to send judges back to the bench (I don't know what is on the mind of others but I have decided that what you see on CTN doesn't necessarily give you a glimpse of the internal thought process of legislators so I am updating my facebook page with my thoughts):
There have been enough people who work within our justice system allowed to operate under the assumption that however they have acted they would be allowed to continue doing so. It is my opinion, based on observation, that this type of thinking is evidenced in the actions of some judges, attorneys, wardens and members of the board of Pardons and Paroles.
I do not presume that I will be returning to my seat after the next election and similarly I do not believe that a judge or board member should operate under such a presumption. It is dangerous and to too large a degree allows these individuals to act with impunity. Because our justice system has acted for so long in a fashion to disproportionately incarcerate Blacks and Latinos it is they - no - we who feel the brunt of this sense of entitlement.
While I cannot speak for the other members of the judiciary committee I can say that for me this is what my no vote in the case of Judge Swords and now parole Board member Smayda has been about.
As I sat watching Representative Gonzales question Smayda it was apparent that while she spoke to reentry programs as if she had knowledge of them she did not. When Gonzales could not get her to state this I took over. We went back and forth and eventually she admitted that her opinion was not based in fact, not based on observation but simply upon assumptions she made out of nowhere. Her assumptions were about the character of the people she is tasked with paroling or not paroling. To me this is a problem. When peoples lives are in your hands you cannot afford to simply assume. But then I guess it is easier to be so nonchalant when you look at these people as prisoners to whom we ascribe their removal from society to a fundamental irreversible anti-social condition. It is easier but it is not accurate.
Anyway, I cannot operate under the assumption that anyone automatically gets a bench, seat on a board or commission, or even in the state legislature. When we begin to allow ourselves to think that way someone will be hurt because we have chosen not to be vigilant. That is not my type of government. No sir
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