Jeanfromfillmore
03-14-2010, 02:28 PM
Sharp-Tongued Judges Get a Scolding
[snip]”Citta was disciplined for comments he made while sentencing criminal defendants in 2002 and 2006.
On April 13, 2006, during the sentencing of Alex Ramirez for a parole violation, Ramirez’s lawyer explained that part of the reason for the violation was a language barrier between Ramirez, a Spanish-speaking immigrant, and his probation officer, who did not speak or understand Spanish.
Citta responded: “Not only do we have to let him come into the country illegally and stay here, not only do we have to provide him with public assistance, not only do we have to provide him with free health care, not only do we have to provide him with a free attorney when he gets in trouble, now he wants a bilingual probation officer, because otherwise it’s inconvenient for him.”
Citta also told Ramirez that if it were up to him, “I’d take you just as you’re dressed and bound right now and have you escorted back to Mexico forthwith and forget the prison term.” He expressed his hope that when Ramirez was released, immigration officials would “scoop you up … and send you back.
He also sarcastically told the prosecutor she could address him in Spanish because the court had the benefit of a bilingual prosecutor and probation officer, as well as an interpreter.”
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202446001425&SharpTongued_Judges_Get_a_Scolding
[snip]”Citta was disciplined for comments he made while sentencing criminal defendants in 2002 and 2006.
On April 13, 2006, during the sentencing of Alex Ramirez for a parole violation, Ramirez’s lawyer explained that part of the reason for the violation was a language barrier between Ramirez, a Spanish-speaking immigrant, and his probation officer, who did not speak or understand Spanish.
Citta responded: “Not only do we have to let him come into the country illegally and stay here, not only do we have to provide him with public assistance, not only do we have to provide him with free health care, not only do we have to provide him with a free attorney when he gets in trouble, now he wants a bilingual probation officer, because otherwise it’s inconvenient for him.”
Citta also told Ramirez that if it were up to him, “I’d take you just as you’re dressed and bound right now and have you escorted back to Mexico forthwith and forget the prison term.” He expressed his hope that when Ramirez was released, immigration officials would “scoop you up … and send you back.
He also sarcastically told the prosecutor she could address him in Spanish because the court had the benefit of a bilingual prosecutor and probation officer, as well as an interpreter.”
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202446001425&SharpTongued_Judges_Get_a_Scolding