Court Watch Los Angeles

We’re a volunteer court observation team organizing to keep LA County’s judicial system transparent and accountable. A project of @ladefensx

[Court Watch Los Angeles @CourtWatchLA]

🚨 Court Watch LA Statement for the Election of Nathan Hochman & the Passing of Prop 36: Newly elected regressive DA emboldened by repackaged War on Drugs proposition

🔗 Read our full statement at: https://t.co/MIjVDKtfLK

#losangeles #election2024

[Court Watch Los Angeles @CourtWatchLA]

🚨 COMMUNITY SUPPORT REQUEST! 🚨

🗓️ TUES, OCT. 15, 2024
⏰ 8:30AM - 12:00PM
📍 Inglewood Courthouse

Additional details & department number on the calendar in your #CourtWatch dashboard.

#CommunitySupport #WatchTheCourts #CourtSupport

[Court Watch Los Angeles @CourtWatchLA]

🚨 COMMUNITY SUPPORT REQUEST! 🚨

🗓️ THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2024
⏰ 8:30AM - 12:00PM
📍 POMONA COURTHOUSE SOUTH

Additional details & department number on the calendar in your #CourtWatch dashboard.

#CommunitySupport #WatchTheCourts #CourtSupport

[Court Watch Los Angeles @CourtWatchLA]

September Group #CourtWatch dates just dropped!
🗓️ TUES., SEPT. 24 | 9-11:30 AM | West Covina
🗓️ MON., SEPT. 30 | 9-11:30 AM | Long Beach
Details in the calendar on your CW dashboard! Print the newest session sheet & your notebook! #JudicialAccountability #JudicialTransparency

[Court Watch Los Angeles @CourtWatchLA]

🤝 August Group #CourtWatch Opportunities:

🗓️ THU 8-15 (Torrance), and TUES 8-27 (El Monte), from 9-11:30 AM

Details in the calendar on your CW dashboard!
#WatchTheCourts #JudicialAccountability #JudicialTransparency

[Court Watch Los Angeles @CourtWatchLA]

This was our court watchers second observation of a commissioner deciding eviction cases, and noticed only one person who did not stipulate to the commissioner. It seems that some individuals may not be aware of their option to decline stipulation."

[Court Watch Los Angeles @CourtWatchLA]

The most difficult case to watch involved an elderly black woman who did not understand the court process.

[Court Watch Los Angeles @CourtWatchLA]

The commissioner became obviously frustrated and demonstrated this through his bodily language of clenching his fists and grinding his teeth.

[Court Watch Los Angeles @CourtWatchLA]

There were times when the commissioner tried to mediate for both sides. He would allow both sides to speak and ask if they would like time to find compromise.

[Court Watch Los Angeles @CourtWatchLA]

I observed commissioner Marcelo D’asero at Stanley Mosk Courthouse and witnessed eviction cases. I arrived at 9am and the courtroom was full with people. When I arrived it was a tense courtroom, the commissioner was already getting frustrated and raising his voice.

[Court Watch Los Angeles @CourtWatchLA]

There was bias against people who did not understand the court process, specifically tenants who were representing themselves. And there was bias in favor of landlords who had legal representation.

[Court Watch Los Angeles @CourtWatchLA]

🤝 Group #CourtWatch Opportunities:

🗓️ MON 7-15 (Compton Courthouse), and TUES 7-30 (Glendale Courthouse, from 9-11:30 AM

Details in the calendar on your CW dashboard!
#WatchTheCourts #JudicialAccountability #JudicialTransparency

[Court Watch Los Angeles @CourtWatchLA]

More takeaways from our recently released report “Presumed Guilty: The Pretrial Incarceration Crisis in LA County,” based on data gathered by court watchers. Get the full report at: https://t.co/MtuYB2QuKP 👀 #WatchTheCourts #CourtWatch

[Court Watch Los Angeles @CourtWatchLA]

I was shocked to see this because I have literally never interacted with this man before in my entire life. In general, I witnessed him treating myself and other people of color much more rudely than any of the white attendees.

[Court Watch Los Angeles @CourtWatchLA]

In general, Judge Guillemet is extremely biased towards the prosecution. All day long, I did not once witness the prosecution make a single legal argument.

[Court Watch Los Angeles @CourtWatchLA]

Additionally, the bailiff in Courtroom 30 is extremely aggressive and rude. He yells at people for smiling at the defendants, hovers over attendees, and even gave me an "I'm watching you" hand signal as soon as I walked in.

[Court Watch Los Angeles @CourtWatchLA]

This pattern suggests Judge Guillement has a preference for youth, provided there's no criminal history or involvement in non-violent crimes.

[Court Watch Los Angeles @CourtWatchLA]

It is pretty horrible to hear Judge Guillemet call the people in custody by numbers when speaking to counsel about them. This is clear that she does not care to humanize them because other judges make it a practice to call them by their last name.

[Court Watch Los Angeles @CourtWatchLA]

In one particular case, she made it a point to give the defendant a moment of advice and told him it should serve as a learning experience when she granted him OR (release on his own recognizance) and took his age and no criminal history into account to release him.