Week 3: 5 years in the Texas Department of Corrections

Zaid R -

Hey everyone and welcome back to week 3 of my senior project!

There was no trial these week because everyone took a plea or their case was dismissed, but the court was still as chaotic as ever. This week, Judge Raymond Angelini was still sitting as the visiting judge, so the way sentences had occurred hadn’t changed much from my last blog to this one. This week was also the first time I saw someone charged with terroristic threats, and two people were charged with it on two separate days, which to me was incredibly shocking.

Something that stood out to me was that there are a lot of defendants that simply just don’t understand what is going on. Time and time again a defendant comes up before the judge’s sentencing while they are asking for probation when the plea deal that they agreed to and signed doesn’t apply for. This week in particular, there was a defendant who was begging to have a shorter sentence, but he was given five years. It was very clear that this man didn’t know five years is what he agreed to, and his lawyer cut him off when they were talking and said “we agree to the time on the plea.” The man was sentenced and taken away, and to me, it was disheartening to see, and this wasn’t the first time. What’s worse is that the lawyer was with the defendant for over an hour discussing what was going to happen with the plea, but it’s clear that the lawyer didn’t do a good job.

I feel like the criminal justice system doesn’t do justice to all parties involved. There are so many kids living in low income neighborhoods who aren’t given a chance, and it leads them to turn to drugs as a remedy. I think the state investing more into drug rehabs as a way to combat drug problems will have profound effects on so many people. I see the same people from the same parts of town coming into the court all indicted for the same things, and most of them are repeat offenders. If the system just took the time to invest in their lives, it would benefit all of society greatly.

More Posts

Comments:

All viewpoints are welcome but profane, threatening, disrespectful, or harassing comments will not be tolerated and are subject to moderation up to, and including, full deletion.

    maya_pa
    Hey Zaid! It’s disheartening to see defendants agree to plea deals without fully understanding them. The lack of communication between lawyers and clients is a major issue. I agree that investing in rehab programs could help break the cycle of repeat offenders. How do you think the justice system can ensure defendants fully understand their plea deals before agreeing to them?
    April 2, 2025 at 12:17 pm - Reply
    neel_m
    Zaid, the experiences you've had in the past few weeks have truly given me an insight into how disproportionately discriminatory the criminal justice system is, and I entirely agree that it doesn't do justice to everyone involved. I also feel that the relationship between lawyers and clients is inherently stressed because of the environment, which could lead to some of these misunderstandings. That being said, what do you think is causing that disconnect between defendants and their understanding of what is occurring in the court? Is it even the lawyer's fault, or do you think the system itself makes it difficult for defendants to understand their situations?
    April 3, 2025 at 11:04 am - Reply
    zaid_r
    Hey Maya! I just think it is a problem with how the defense attorneys are going about the deals. It's very clear that some of these defendants want something and the lawyer has something else in mind because they are the ones discussing the case with the state. I think it's just a matter of whether or not the defense cares about actual criminal defense or they just want to get payed and call it a day.
    April 3, 2025 at 1:33 pm - Reply
    zaid_r
    Hey Neel! I'm glad I was able to offer you some insight on the Criminal Justice System. To answer your first question, I just think some of these lawyers don't really care about their jobs and want money as some of these defendants are appointed a lawyer by the state. I think the blame rests on everyone involved. Most of these defendants with a long history of drug charges or a long history in general would have their first offense in high school. These people never had an education, never had the chance to make it in life, so their understanding of what is going to happen to them is very limited, but if they are able to carry a conversation, there should be no reason why understanding how many years a sentence is and what the plea deal they are taking which will alter their life should be difficult.
    April 3, 2025 at 1:38 pm - Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *