MN Advisory Comm Exhibits 1-18 - Minnesota Judicial Branch

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applications. This is not the first arrest
for any of them For one there are.
records going back to age nine, when
he was incarcerated for truancy.
“The ,defendant’s juvenile record
may not be used against him in adult
~court,” I remind the prosecuting
attorney.
“I know, Your Honor,” he tiplies
apologetica.Uy, “but, the computer
The young defender sadly shakes
his head. “Your Honor, I work for a
bureaucracy.”
So do I, I remind myself, as I look
at the clock and see that. it is. past
11 :GO and there are .I4 more matters
to be heard to&y.
Four UP, - Four Down
I i refuse bail for a 14-yearold
prints out &ll the arrests.”
accused of slaying anpther &ild iri a
“‘How many convictions?” . gang rumble. Will he be safer in jail
TJM- computer does not give the than on the street, ‘where the &al.
answer to that question.
gang js lying in wait for him? f do not .
,/ One man is accused of rape. The know. The boy &,small an? slender.
.’ record shows that his prior offenses The warden will put him in the wing
were larceny of an automobile and, as with the feminine homoscxuaIs to
‘. a child, running away fmm hdme. The save him from assault. I mark on the
police report indicates that when:the commitment sheet that the boy is to
police arrived the defendant was in attend school while in p&n awaiting
the compfainant’s apartment with his trial; But if the warden does not
clothes off. He ieft so quickiy that-he honor my order;1 will not know.
lbandoned his shoes and socks. The A 23-yev-old heroin addict tells’
complainant admitted knowing him me that there is no drug treatment
and gave his name and address to’ the progmln in~prison .‘%% just like the’
police. No weapon was involved. street. Nothin’ but drugs,” he says. I
My usual rule bf thumb is a simple trytomovehiscascahcadsothathc
one: “If he had time to take off his can.plead gui&y at an egrly date,.and
shoes, it wasn’t rape?’
Before releasing an alleged rapist.
from jail, possibly to prey on other
victims, I want to speak with the /I
&cused. Although Lombroso’s theory
that one can tell a criminal by his I’
physical appearance is out of fashion,
I st@ want to see him, but he is not in
*
the courtroom Perhaps his lawyer,
.
:
the defender, C&Y, give some helpful
information. The defender,, however, If othar political science readerr
has never seen the accused. Someone don’t meet your needs,. make your
else interviewed him on a routine own book frpm The Washington
prison visit. No one knows whether he Monthly’s list of war 300
‘I, has a family, a job, a home.
rsprints, covering such su&actSas ’
“Please have this defendant the Presidency, Congress, the
brought to court tomorrow and get Culture of Bureaucracy, Politia.
me some information on him,” I tell and ahe.Press, Work in Amccica.
and Sex and Politics.
the defender.
He replies, “I’m sorry, Your for a complete list.and details
Honor. I’ll be working in a different OR how to order, write:
courtroom tomorrow. There is no way
I can find out about this man.”
“We’re dealing with human beings, The Washington Month Iv
not pieces of paper,” I expostulate. 1028 Connecticut Ave. NW
“You are his lawyer. You should Washington, D.C 20036
know him”‘
L
The Washington Monthly/February 1975
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