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Pre-sentencing

Interview with Tim, Bob, Peter, Iris, Pat, Elsie, Kathleen, George and Amber

JM: Tell us about the pre-sentencing process:
Tim: There really was no pre-sentencing. I was kept overnight in the drunk tank and released on my own recognizance the next morning. I was scheduled to come back to court the next month.
Bob: I was held without bail and attended all my court appearences while in custody.
Peter: i just had to go to court. wait for the judge to call my name. i first did some paperwork with the court to see the judge. waited for the judge to cal my nazme for about an hour and half. the judge finally called my name and gave me the decision.
Iris: I was interview by detectives and I've that I was over they transported me to the facility were I was put in a hold tank with like 10 other women. We were waiting to be classified and placed into a bed. Worse experience ever they treat you like scum no one is perfect but if I give respect I expect the same no matter the situation and that wasn't the case there.
Pat: Before sentencing you will have a number of court dates that you will have to go to while still in custody. Your first court date will be to plea guilty or not guilty, almost everyone pleas not guilty for the time being even if you are planning on changing it to guilty later on. A few weeks later you will come back to court and they will offer you a "deal" which you can take or turn down. If you take it your next court date will be your sentencing date. If you do not take it you will go back to court a month later and they will offer you another "deal". Depending on the severity or the crime they will either give you a better deal each time you turn it down or decide that they would rather take you to trial if they are sure they will get the jury to convict you guilty.
Elsie: It was a nightmare primarily because my private attorney was utterly corrupt, thoroughly clueless and although I was offered a few months by the DA via my public defender prior to hiring this private attorney, he managed to get me three years! I never had a single moment to speak in court courtesy of both the judge who wouldn't have anyone dispute her word, my attorney literally told me to "Shut the fuck up!" Bingo.
Kathleen: initial court date to be given options and bail changes. give your plea and re assess situation somewhat. or clarification for upcoming court dates. after initial court date was given 30 more days to think over the new information i'd be given. about a week before my last court date i spoke with a investigator to help decide my sentencing and possibalities for probation and or programs after release
George: I was in there for about two weeks before processing, it was just really boring,I guess what you could expect for jail time.It was actually pretty clean in there.I was very nervous because I didn't know what the outcome would be, pretty much the waiting just killed me, and being away from my family.
Amber: WHEN I FIRST GOT TO THE JAIL I WAS TAKEN DIRECTLY TO A NURSE WHO ASKED ME QUESTIONS ABOUT MY MEDICAL HISTORY, IN THAT SAME ROOM YOU ARE PHOTOGRAPHED. FROM THERE I WAS TAKEN TO A CELL WHERE I COULD USE A PHONE. THIS PHONE IS TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR BAIL. YOU STAY IN HERE FOR ABOUT A HALF HOUR THEN THE DEPUTY ASKED ME IF I WAS BAILING OUT. BECAUSE I WASN'T I WAS THEN TAKEN TO A DRESS OUT ROOM WHERE I WAS GIVEN JAIL CLOTHES AND TAKEN TO ANOTHER HOLDING CELL THAT PROVIDED FREE LOCAL PHONES. I STAYED IN THIS CELL FOR QUITE A LONG TIME. DURING THAT TIME I WAS BOOKED, FINGERPRINTED, AND GIVEN A CHEST XRAY. AFTER ABOUT 18HRS A BUS CAME AND PICKED ME UP AND TRANSFERRED ME TO A WOMENS FACILITY WHERE I WAS HOUSED.

JM: Did you have police stop by your house for questioning? If not please give us details on how you came to be arrested.
Tim: The police never needed to come by house for questioning because I was not involved in an investigation. I had blown a .08 in a breathalyzer and was arrested.
Bob: No.
Peter: no the police didnt stop by my house for questioning. i was arrested the same day of the incident. someone called the police. the police came,handcuffed me, questioned me and then drove me to the jail. they paperworked me, and stayed at the jail for about 3 days. that was it.
Iris: I had an under cover unit go to my house and bring me in. They had went to my job and previous addresses prior but then had caught up with me at my home and at that point they had arrested me and brought me to a parking lot for questioning.
Pat: No. I was riding a motorcycle and I stole something from someone and ran away. When I got down the street I looked at what I had taken and I felt bad because there were keys for a car and a phone in the bad I had taken so I got off my bike and walked back to the person. I got as close as could and threw the persons belongings as close to them as I could. I was caught when I got back to my motorcycle and started riding away. I confessed when I was stopped.
Elsie: Oh, no because the nature of my case wasn't anything of the sort. I was on probation after being wrongfully convicted of something and serving outrageous time. I was shopping and became severely ill and ran outside with my basket to the garden area of the store where store security apprehended me. They would have released me had I not been on probation but as such I absolutely had to be a scheming criminal and was taken into custody.
Kathleen: no police came to question me. my case started a couple years ago and over the years i'd repeatedly get new warrents for failure to appeaper. my last time in jail i had this warrent for close to a year and just wanted to turn myself in. i was in drug court and i wanted to terminate. get sentenced rather than return to drug court
George: I was arrested on a dui, then bailed out, as part of a plea deal I had to turn myself in. It was a hard decision but I knew I had to do the right thing in order to get things straightened out and not make my situation a lot worse.
Amber: I WAS IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH A RECOVERING ADDICT WHO WAS TRAINING TO BE A DRUG COUNSELOR THROUGH HIS RECOVERY PROGRAM. HE RELAPSED AND WAS TOLD TO PUT HIMSELF IN HIS OWN PROGRAM OR SUFFER CONSEQUENSES IF HE DIDN'T. HE TOLD ME HE WAS GOING TO DO THAT BUT SOMETHING TOLD ME HE DIDN'T. I WENT TO HIS HOUSE WHERE I FOUND HIM. AS A RESULT WE ARGUED AND I PULLED HIS SHIRT. POLICE SHOWED UP AND I WAS ARRESTED SINCE HE HAD THE TORN SHIRT.

JM: What was court like? Please give as many details as you recall.
Tim: I showed up for court and waited almost all day for my case to be called. It basically took a whole ten minutes for everything to happen once I was in front of the judge. I just had to plead and wait for the judges verdict of what form my punishment would take.
Bob: If your fortunate enough to be housed in the same facility where your are to make your court appearence the process is fairly simple. You get called about 2 hours before and go wait in a holding cell by the courtrooms with other inmates going to court when you are done you generally wait another couple hours before returning to your mod.Going to court from George Bailey is an all day tedious affair. You are woken just before breakfast around 3:30am and told to eat quickly then your are taken to the holding cells where you wait...then are strip searched...then wait...get on a bus while a chain is wrapped around your waist and your handcuffed to that chain. Go to downtown..unload bus...wait in grimy holding cell...load bus...go to courthouse where you are to make appearence..wait..see judge from behind the enclosed inmate box...return to holding cell..wait...load bus...wait...go downtown...wait in holding cell...load bus go back to GBDF...wait in holding cell...return to your Mod. I would leave the mod at 4am and would not return until around 8pm it's a real real real drag.
Peter: court was long and boring. had to come at a certain time. did some paperwork with the clerks. after the paperwork, i to wait in the courtroom with other people and waited for the judge. the judge finally called me up after an hour and half. i explained my incident and that was it.
Iris: Court its self wad fine they had everyone that was in my case in attendance. But the process to get there was horrible they wake you up at the crack of dawn so that you can sit in a cement cage until your case is called but then even after that you have to wait hours til the bus comes back to transfer you back to the jail.
Pat: court was very intimidating because one person can control your future and depending on what kind of mood they are in you can get more or less time on your sentence. All attorneys that are provided by the state mean to do a good job but they just have too many cases to deal with to provide everyone with a a great attorney. It is always better to have a paid attorney because they seem to have more pull in the courtroom and can negotiate you a better deal in the long run. The more people you have supporting you in the courtroom the better. The judge will see who is there for each prisoner and the more the better. If you can get letters from different people about the prisoner saying he is a good person but made a mistake it will go a long way with the defense.
Elsie: Court is never less than surreal for many reasons. One, as a non-attorney, one is puzzled with the nomenclature and comings and goings. Then the DA's office opens its mouth and you are immediately a raping, pillaging, serial killing, child molester who is likely a terrorist as well. If you have a record, you might as well throw in the towel.
Kathleen: court for my was routine. the pyublic defender in charge of my case is also in charge of all the other prop 36 and drug court cases. first court date they were ready to reaease mee back into drug court whjich i declined. he wanted to give me a week to think things over which i declined. then he have me another sentencing date 30 days later. on that day he told me i'd be getting released, the terms for my probation/ restitution and whatever else i'd have to comply with. basically going over what the judge would say but with more details and with the ability for questions and/or concerns
George: I had to do video court, I was very nervous to find out what my sentencing would be, the process was pretty fast. I was sad to not be in the actual curt room to see my family who came to support me, the judge was nice enough to turn her screen towards my girlfriend and mother who came to see my sentencing.
Amber: I WAS TAKEN BY BUS AT ABOUT 5A.M. I WAITED IN AN OVERCROWDED HOLDING TANK WITH 7 OTHER GIRLS. THE TANK WAS ABOUT 10X12 IT HAD 1` BENCH THAT SAT 3. WE STAY THERE FOR 9HRS.I SPOKE TO A LAWYER WHO TOLD ME WHAT WAS BEING OFFERED TO ME BEFORE BEING HANDCUFFED AND LED INTO COURT.

JM: What were your original charges? What did you end up being convicted of?
Peter: battery. but then it was dropped.
Iris: Charged for insurance fraud but ended up receiving withholding information in a criminal frauds case
Pat: robbery and grand theft. ended up with only grand theft
Elsie: Originally, in 2002/2003, Theft of An Elder and some other bogus charge related to being in a position of a caregiver. I had rejected my landlord's brother's advances and my landlord's for that matter. I told one brother that the other was incompetent and was entering my home and behaving inappropriately. I was also suffering with advanced Thyroid disease unbeknownst to me and was starting to behave strangely because my body was simply shutting down. The one aggressive brother forcibly moved me and my possessions out of my apartment and a few days later called the police.
Kathleen: originally i was charged with posession. i was given prop36 and kicked out then drug court which i terminated on my own. i guess i was cnovicted of posession
George: I was charged with a second d.u.i., the conviction was the same.
Amber: PC243(e)(1)BATTERY W/SPOUSE AND PC594(a)(2)(a) VANDALISM. THE PC243 STUCK

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