Boot Camp Day 2

Those people who were late for class this morning were upbraided fairly harshly. Toward the end of getting in the mode of being prepared and professional for court, we are to have strict enforcement of professionalism in class. For instance, we are not allowed to get up and walk out of the class for a bathroom break - we have to ask for the class to take a break. Note to self: don't drink water during CLC.

Professor H. told us a story. She was interning as a public defender in the South Bronx. This was back in the late 70's and he was a heroin addict with a very long rap sheet. He could have served over a year, but was offered 90 days for whatever his crime had been, which would actually translate to 50 after credit for good time served. A good deal - but he didn't want it. He wanted a treatment program. The judge said, "Fine - you can have the treatment program - but if you fail it or drop out - you're coming back to court and you'll serve at -least- a year." Everyone thought the client was crazy not to take the 90 days of time - there was actually a betting pool among the court staff about what day he would fail out of the program."
Many years later, Professor H was in another court, representing another client asking for a treatment program. The representative from the treatment program walked up to her and handed her a business card. A moment passed and he said, "You don't recognize me, do you?" She didn't. But it was her old client from the Bronx. He hadn't failed out of the program. He told her that she was the one that got him into the program that had turned his life around. That no one else believed in him.

Also, check this out:
Voyeurism a new crime in Queens?:
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/22/city-council-takes-up-a-bill-to-ban-voyeurism/?hp
Statistics on NY prisons (pdf)
http://www.correctionalassociation.org/PVP/publications/basic_prison_fact_2006.pdf