Judges get earful on judicial system

A panel of D.C. judges yesterday fielded suggestions and a flurry of complaints from residents in Northeast at a morning forum on how to improve the city’s judicial system.

A few dozen residents were sprinkled throughout the auditorium at Kelly Miller Middle School for the town hall meeting, which was hosted by the 6th District Citizens Advisory Council.

The panel — made up of three judges — briefly addressed the residents about the system’s two community courts before a question-and-answer period. But the discussion quickly devolved into residents venting about other community-based quality-of-life issues, ranging from reducing recidivism to rampant truancy.

Rosa Hamlett, an advisory neighborhood commissioner in the area, said her 14-year-old neighbor has been suspended from four different schools and currently isn’t attending any.

“Another child without supervision, without schooling,” Miss Hamlett said. “What can be done, while they’re juveniles, before they get caught doing something improper?”

Family Court Judge William M. Jackson said that action should be taken, but that there isn’t much the courts can do in many cases except in instances of extreme parental neglect.

“It doesn’t make any sense for us just to arrest them and lock them up as kids, and then just wait for them to get old enough to move to the adult side,” Judge Jackson said. “Our goal is to stop it now, to intervene … before they’re charged with a serious offense.”

Annette Cherry, a Ward 7 resident who attended the forum with her young grandson, complained of poor treatment from courthouse officials.

“I’m not rich; I’m not middle class,” she said. “I’m a retired grandmother, and I’m not coming in with my spiked heels, my long nails and my well-done hair. I’m coming in because I have business there. I feel as if I’m being judged on my appearance. When they greet you when you walk through the door as if you’ve done something wrong by asking them a question, I really resent that.”

Darlene Williams, a Deanwood resident, walked out midway through the forum, upset at what she said was the panel’s failure to properly acknowledge how much race factors into justice.

“The racial [disparity] in the judicial system, it’s sickening,” she said as she left with her two grandchildren. “They shouldn’t act like it isn’t there.”

The judges said they were taken aback by residents’ perception of unfair treatment in city courts. In an electronic survey given to those in attendance yesterday, 80 percent of those polled believed that there is inequity among the treatment of ethnic and racial groups.

“It cuts me to the quick to hear that,” said Judge Ann O’Regan Keary, who presides over the East of the River Community Court. The court was implemented in September 2002 to hear all misdemeanor cases in the 6th and 7th Police Districts not involving domestic violence.

Superior Court Chief Judge Rufus King III, who attended the forum but did not sit on the panel, said he was dismayed that more residents didn’t take advantage of the chance to voice their opinions and concerns.

“Instead of just deciding ’who done it,’ we’re trying now … to give you an opportunity, to hear what you’ve got to say,” Judge King told the audience.

D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson, chairman of the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary, also was in attendance and echoed Judge King’s sentiments.

“In order for the courts to be successful, there has to be community support,” Mr. Mendelson said.