"It's Humboldt County, he is guilty" says former criminal who did time for 10 years

A former criminal who said he spent 10 years in prison was waiting for Courtroom 1 to open up. The defendant he and the family were there to support was a young woman.  Besides the father, the mother, toddler sibling and her grandmother were at the Courthouse this afternoon. I was covering another case in Courtroom 1.



Individual jurors for Courtroom 2 were waiting to be called in for questioning. The former criminal looked in Courtroom 2 then quipped, "It is Humboldt County, he is guilty."

"I can't believe you said that," said the grandmother.

"I did the crime. I served my time," said the former criminal. He said he did 10 years.

"90 percent are guilty. 10 percent it's bad luck," he continued.

His funniest and only accurate remark was about litigation, which he later corrected to intervention. "They just sit there talking about their golf game. Oh today, I hit a 9. The Public Defender, Conflict Counsel work for the DA. It isn't about getting out of jail."

The intervention hearing is unique to Humboldt County and has to be explained to Visiting Judges from other parts of California.

Defendants, media and public wait around anywhere from minutes to hours while attorneys and the Judge meet inside a closed courtroom. It is supposed to be informal discussions to resolve cases. Like many intentions; the thought is better than reality.  Many in the local criminal justice system feel it is a waste of time. Two to three hours daily that could be used more productively.