A Good Number

Well, I had another encounter with Judge Cribble today involving a Hispanic defendant. Jaime Morales was charged with DWI. It was his first offense. Sure, he blew a .20, but it was his first offense. I have only one time seen someone receive any jail time for a first time DWI. In that case, the person had caused a serious accident and was an unbelievable ass to the officer and to the other party of the accident. I think that person got a thirty day sentence.

Jaime Morales was obviously very drunk. But he didn't cause an accident. And he was so polite to the officer that the officer noted that to the judge during his plea. Jaime also was not able to make his bond. He has been sitting in jail awaiting trial for the past 87 days. Since he couldn't make his bond, he couldn't get out. So I pled him guilty in front of Judge Cribble. The sentence? Ninety days in jail. So he would have to stay in there three more. Bear in mind that I have never seen anyone other than the ass mentioned above get a single day for a first time offenses. But Judge Cribble gave Jaime ninety days. Should I be calling the ACLU or something about this guy? It would involve an enormous amount of research, but any investigation would conclusively show two things: 1- Judge Cribble sentences Hispanics much, much more harshly than he does any other race for like offenses; and 2- Judge Cribble sentences Hispanics much, much more harshly than do other judges for like offenses (though I guess that part is really irrelevant. I mean, if other judges did it, too, then it would just mean the problem is even greater).

After steaming over this for some time and bitching about it to an attorney who has been at it about fifteen years longer than I have, I went back to Judge Cribble.

"So why did you give him ninety days?"
"He had 87 already. What's the difference? You want me to change it to 87? I can change it to 87."
"Okay. That would be great."
"That's fine. It was nothing personal. I just thought that ninety sounded like a good number."

The bottom line, I guess, is that Jaime is out of jail by now. But Judge Cribble's actions regarding yet another Hispanic are particularly troubling to me. I am very glad that I talked to and took the advice of that other attorney. He said I had to call out Judge Cribble and he would back down. He was right. But I told that attorney that I was afraid that if my conversation with Judge Cribble got heated, then I might say something about his treatment of Hispanics. That attorney told me he was sure I had more self control than to say something like that.

Meanwhile, I am starting to think that I might be a better person if I had a little less self control.