“Different judges handle cases drastically different.”

Excerpt from Dalton, a defendant at the Hall of Justice in San Jose in winter 2022

Interviewer: But if you could change the court system, what things would you change about it?  

Dalton: [Pause] One thing I've noticed is that... Different judges handle cases drastically different.  

Interviewer: Mm.  

Dalton: And... It also... Even... Not comparing, um, like different people, just comparing the same person on different days, what mood they're in, what they watched on TV, or what um... Maybe there was like a, a shooting last night by a Mexican dude and the case the next day is a gun charge for a Mexican dude like... You know? I—I feel like obviously humans can’t be robots, but I feel like there needs to be more of a system of checks and balances.  

Interviewer: Mm hmm.  

Dalton: Not just one person and how they’re feeling that day.  

Interviewer: Mm. Okay.  

Dalton: I don't know how that would work but—