Posted on 06/10/2012 8:32:42 AM PDT by SmithL
Judge Lillian Sing got a taste of judicial medicine the other day when a convicted car burglar she was trying to help walked out of her San Francisco courtroom and, within minutes, was busted for allegedly breaking into her car.
Phillip Bernard was in Community Court on Tuesday for a check of his progress while on probation for an auto burglary conviction.
Bernard, who is homeless, had missed an earlier appearance and had failed to follow his probation requirements. "I wasn't too happy with him," Sing said.
But Community Court is set up to get people help, not send them to jail for minor infractions. So Sing let him off with a stern admonishment.
"I told him he had better get into a harm reduction program and get going with a job search," Sing said.
No sooner did Sing's gavel go down, however, than Bernard exited the Polk Street courtroom, went around to the alley in back, pulled out a weighted sock and smashed the rear passenger window of a car, police said.
As fate would have it, a couple of beat cops were passing by. They nabbed Bernard, ran the car's plate and bingo - up popped the judge's name.
"He did it right under my nose," Sing said.
Bernard, 32, is now back behind bars, facing another auto burglary charge.
His next court date is Tuesday, this time in Superior Court.
As for this validating those who say Community Court is just a revolving door for petty criminals like Bernard?
"He's just one of 1,600 we deal with," Sing said. "Most of them do really well."
Maybe - but this is the one who is going to be remembered.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Is her car an Outback or a Focus?
Toyota Pious.
Gotta love it. It’s too bad that all judges who “help” these repeat offenders don’t get the same treatment.
If I’m on the jury, in this case, poor Phillip gets another chance, after all, he’s just misunderstood and trying to turn his life around, and the judge is rich, she should have left the car unlocked.
She'll learn absolutely nothing from the incident.
I could write a book on the “do-gooders” I work with who ultimately only enable and encourage more bad behavior, and in the process, set themselves up as “patsies”. I am seriously considering quitting due to this (because of the lack of discipline in our school). I am beginning to get high blood pressure. Next, it will be ulcers. I’ve never had high blood pressure. I am very much in a quandary over this and haven’t been sleeping well, with knots in my stomach.
Share and redistribute the wealth liberal judgie. Personal property is frowned upon in a communist system. She is denying that homeless person the free right to enjoy ‘public property’. Judge Sing is acting like a “ 1%’er”. Probably paid like one too in the Ca. Public Employee system.
Court is set up to get people help, not send them to jail for minor infractions.
Wonder what part of law and justice the idiot fails to understand?.
It’s probably any version of a Subaru. I don’t want to offend Subaru owners as they are great cars but unfortunately, like the rainbow sticker they carry, they are a badge among a certain set of society.
Awww C’mon judge who ya going to believe me or your lying eyes???
How, exactly, did this previously convicted criminal get into the courthouse with a weapon?
I guess a sock full of pennies would not be considered a weapon.
Since when did breaking into a car become a minor infraction?
“Since when did breaking into a car become a minor infraction?”
Like anything else that happens often enough (and not adequately addressed) to the point of being ignored and as a result, accepted, Motor Vehicle B&E is relegated to be simply a nuisance offense at best.
I recall a case like this in Virginia, where the repeat offender was let off...and then proceeded to rifle through the judge’s coat outside and lift the wallet foolishly left there.
It would have been a better story if the beat cops hadn’t been there, and she’d gotten to feel the pain of being a crime victim like so many others.
Then again, even my relatives have been compassionate judges—but they did it intelligently. One made a judgement for $25 to a well-known defendant who obviously couldn’t pay. Then the $25 was given to the defendant with the words: “Listen, Willie...I know that you don’t have the money, and even when you get it, you’ll drink it away and ‘Ill just see you back here...but now you owe that $25 to me, and I know you won’t let a personal debt to me go unpaid, right?” Sure enough, Willie stayed out of trouble and paid it back. Imagine the uproar these days if a judge did that!
Chode wrote: “typical liberal mush head...”
Worse than typical, it seems... She’s so weak on crime that even democraticunderground.com has compiled her hypocrisy of claiming she was “tough on crime”!!!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=141x3575
For example:
“Believe it or not, Judge Sing actually inexplicably released a twice convicted felon with extensive recent history of extreme domestic violence, resulting in the brutal slaying of his estranged District 1 girlfriend within a month — one of less than a dozen total murders in the Richmond district in the last 10 years! In addition, Judge Sing’s indefensible failure to poll the jury allowed yet another brutal murderer back on the streets for no more than time already served.”
America needs you in the classroom.
But America needs you alive.
I know a man who was faced with similar frustration—and who had a heart attack in the classroom while fighting with the administration over it.
Take good care of yourself and your students.
(I’m assuming you’re a teacher. If not, adjust my response accordingly.)
I guess a sock full of pennies would not be considered a weapon.Hope AND Change!
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