My question is this
I believe that your experience as a federal public defender has made
you a better judge. Have you maintain impartial?
Imbalanced perspective and criminal and other cases.
And I assume you would agree with that.
Yes, Senator. Um, I think that experience in the criminal justice
system
Um, whether, as you say on the prosecution side or the defense side
having actual experience, um, is an asset as a judge, you understand?
The way the system works. And as a defense counsel, you have
Interacted.
With defendants in a way that as a judge, at least as a trial judge,
I thought was very beneficial.
One of those ways.
Is
It helped me to develop a sense of the need to communicate.
Directly with defendants. Um and you know it didn't change. I think
in any way the outcomes of the cases when I was a trial judge, but
I understood from my time as an appellate defender.
That a lot of defendants go through the system and don't really understand
it.
And the problem with that, from our societies standpoint is that
when people go through the criminal justice system and don't have
a good understanding
They tend to not take responsibility for their own.
Actions. They tend to be bitter and feel as though the justice system
has wronged them. And so while they're doing their time, rather than
reflecting
On the fact that this is the consequence that they have to face for,
actually, um
Committing a crime instead of doing the work to rehabilitate themselves.
There, you know, focusing on how wrong they are, how victimized they
feel. And so what? I decided
As a trial judge was that I was going to make sure that everyone
who was in my courtroom and especially the defendant.
Understood all of the procedures that we were going through all of
the steps. I spoke directly to them. I asked them Do you understand
what's happening?
Because I wanted them to know. And then even perhaps more importantly,
As I said about my child pornography cases, I focused on the harms
of the behavior that was at issue.
When I sentenced the defendant, I made clear in every case here is
the problem. This is what you've done here is the damage to our society.
And I don't know that I would have done that. Um, if I had not been
Criminal defense lawyer.
Well and
Yes, sir. But you know, I was getting to the fact that you have that
experience. I
Also, it's obvious you don't get as a public defender. You don't
get the right you don't get to choose your clients. It's not like
you're going out there picking and choosing your told
You're going to defend this person, but
They're given that right under the Sixth Amendment.
And we
Uhh! We all
You're
Remember the bar judge or public defender. You take an oath to uphold
the Constitution.
And the sixth amendments are pretty important part of it, wouldn't
you say?
Absolutely, senator and
It's also a pretty important part.
For indigent defendants. Is that not correct? That is correct, especially
for indigent defendants because they are determined to not be able
to afford counsel. And as you said, senator for a judge.
It is crucial that you have arguments that are being made and presented
on both sides of the issue. That is what allows for judges to
Reach.