Spiralling backlogs mean a shocking 29 cases including violent crimes and drug offences have been scheduled to start as far away as 2030, with victims left waiting at least four years to have their day in court. In total, more than 2,600 Crown Court trials are not due to be heard until 2028, including 206 rape trials.
We're spread so thin that nobody's really been given the opportunity to be adequately trained for some of the assignments that we're sent off to. The situation hasn't gotten any better, and our concerns are the same, and they're growing. Staffing shortages have existed for years in the criminal division and are being exacerbated as the San Francisco district attorney's office files more cases.
Many of us behind the wall believe the system isn't built for justice it's built for conviction. So we're learning the law to fight from the inside. Years ago, while in county lockup, I came across a Dylan Thomas poem I didn't fully understand. It read: Do not go gentle into that good night Rage, rage against the dying of the light. I liked the rhythm and the urgency of it.
I mean, I remember once I got a DUI, which is not nearly what you went through. But you know, they make it go through a 14-week program and go to AA meetings, and like, you are entrapped into the criminal justice system, again at a very low level. But even at that level, I was like, whoa, this is awful.