Day Two - Carpetbaggers from the North
Suits, Ties and Guys
"What are you guys, lawyers? You guys are like carpetbaggers from the North."
- The owner of our hotel
The criminal courthouse stands on a desolate strip of Tulane Avenue, a speedy four-lane roadway that turns into a highway. Like most courthouses, most of the business signage around it is for bail bondsmen. The courthouse itself is beautiful, and the lobby area leading to the courtrooms has what looks like fifty foot vaulted ceilings. Soaring windows line the wall across from the courtroom doors. The floors are marble, and intricate moldings and murals of blind and beautiful Justice cover the height of the walls, reaching up to the ceiling.
"The Impartial Administration of Justice is the Foundation of Liberty."
Engraving on the Orleans Parish Criminal Court.
We observed Tanzanike, a public defender, argue in Section L before Judge Alarcon. The state asked for continuances on most of the cases, so she didn't have to do much arguing when we were there. At one point, another defender named Stewart asked that the judge dismiss a case because the state had failed to ever produce evidence against his client. His urging was met by bitter frustration on the part of Judge Alarcon over the state of the criminal justice system. He flatly stated that "The degree of incompetence in this system is mindboggling." He continued, "I say it on the record every day." We were struck by the court's seeming inability to order police to bring evidence to an apperance on an appointed date. Judge Alarcon remarked that, "I really don't believe anything that anyone tells me on the condition of evidence. I don't think they really know."
Kathy Hwang and OPD lawyer Tanzanike review notes for a motion to appeal.
