By "Captive" in title, I simply mean, their lives are "on call" for California's Superior Court. The indefinite nature of this makes it seem unusual and for some, even cruel, to me. The courtroom was packed this morning!


Well, This morning's Courtroom Seven with His Honorable Judge Paul Burdick didn't turn out either of the ways predicted in above article.

Instead, it turned out:
more delays for Defendants. And coming soon - Sanctions for Assistant District Attorney Young and/or the District's Attorney's "office" for the delays in providing evidence (or consistency) to the attorneys of defendants. Also a possibility of Judge reviewing the two defendants who have been twice charged in there somewhere. The Judge listened to a litany of concerns from counsel for defendants but ignored or dismissed most particulars.

Judge Paul Burdick seems generally even-handed and calm yet attentive. Yet in one of his more emphatic, dynamic expressions during the morning's proceedings, Judge Burdick said, "...serious crimes were permitted here! And someone is responsible."

This, he explained, is the reason he is reluctant to dismiss the Santa Cruz Eleven case, in respnse to evidence missteps and tech delays. Since D.A. Young and her two allies today HAD brought all the requested (still missing Friday) DISCOVERY to court; and despite the irregularities and her twice or thrice disregard for Burdick's court orders about this stuff; the trial of the Santa Cruz Eleven*WILL* be continued.

The Judge facilitated a handful of court dates, from a special check-in for two "re-charged" defendants slated for Sept 24th, until a new Preliminary Hearing January 7th, and a few more dates in between. While there was some discussion of public needs, the court was unmoved by lawyers pointing out many defendants' lives becoming fragmented and destroyed among the accused.


My viewpoint:

This Judge ultimately expressed an even higher standard of protecting the People, or "the public" as people in the larger community were referred to in court, than did District Attorney Bob Lee.

Lee recently said to defendants that if they'd pay the (inflated, imho) $3,000 damages/vandalism costs, from scene of 75 River Street "takeover", the charges would "go away." Judge Burdick, it seemed to me this morning, does not want to settle for anything less than a "responsible party." Overheard just outside the courtroom door as all were leaving: "is he (Judge Burdick) asking somebody off the street to come to his office and say, 'I did it'?"

Despite his repeated demands of the assistant DA's work quality issues, it was apparent Burdick can imagine somebody among the Eleven-to-Seven Defendants will surely be proven 'responsible.' He repeated his expectation for future evidence that is clear to him.

To this Judge's credit, many of the SCEleven Defendants could be heard in the Atrium afer court: they were saying they feel the Judge is, still, attempting to be fair. The Judge has a difficult balance to sustain in this politicized case.