Day 4

Is over. There are so many things that are disturbing about the way that things work down here, it would be hard to list them comprehensively. So I'll start randomly. No lawyers or law clerks have been allowed to see their clients at the House of Detention for the past two days because they are filming a Jim Carrey movie inside it. I saw 51 people get their "first appearance" this morning (where the judge determines whether there is probable cause to hold them and what their bond will be) in about an hour and half. That's three minutes per person... except the judge was on his cell phone much of the time.

The state has 45 days to decide whether to charge a misdemeanor and 60 days for a felony. In Louisiana, a felony is anything punishable by 6 months or more. In federal criminal law, and I believe every other state, a felony is one year or longer. They are charging second possession of marijuanas as felonies. This means the second time someone is caught with a joint, they can be held for two months before charges are even filed. This also means that getting arrested, even if charges aren't eventually brought, causes many people to lose their jobs, house, visitation with children. One man I talked to today was most concerned that his cat locked in his apartment and his girlfriend was in Las Vegas.

Of the 51 people this morning, 50 were black and one was Latino. It's really bizarre and not any less shocking than anyone would expect. More shocking because I am working with some amazing attorneys who are smart and dedicated and in completely over their heads, trying to do right in a system with so many wrongs.