“I didn’t get respected”

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

Sophia: […] I didn't know what was going on the whole time. Um, and it wasn't ‘cause I couldn't hear them. It's just that they weren't… um, I don't know, like, I just feel like I wasn't, like, a part of it. 

Interviewer: Mm yeah. Was this how just how you felt between the—your attorney and the D.A.? Or did you feel this with other actors within the court as well? 

Sophia: Um, No. Um. Pretty much all of them that were in there. It wasn't until I got sentenced that the, that the judge actually like spoke to—directly—to me, and um, you know, pretty much told me my, my charges and, and how long I was going to be sentenced for and all that stuff. Yeah.

Interviewer: Mhm, yeah. And I know you talked about how you felt when it was that happening with your lawyer, but I don't, if you want to expand on how you felt receiving that from the judge too?

Sophia: Yeah, um. Yeah. It, well, pretty much the the, the same thing. I didn't feel like um, I had my um … you know, like I, I didn't get respected, and, um, they didn't care what I had to say or, or, you know, pretty much that they didn't care. That's how I felt for most of the time. Like, I just didn't. I felt just like, you know, that they didn't care, that they didn't—that they weren't even doing anything to try and resolve my case or um, like, it just didn't matter. 

*