It’s sort of a relief and also horrifying to hear Sentinel-owner Frances Luna say the quiet part out loud at a recent public hearing on whether to dissolve the municipal court.
The relief comes in the public acknowledgement, at least in this instance, the city operates behind closed doors. Decisions are predetermined. Public hearings are for show.
As a reporter (now retired and a volunteer citizen reporter and editorialist) I know how hard it is to prove smoky back rooms exist, to expose the glacier tip of an authoritarian, non-democratic, non-transparent government. Luna blurted it out and put it on the record for once.
Luna was selected by the city commission to be one of the three public representatives on the court committee. State law requires one be convened to write a report considering whether to dissolve the municipal court, the magistrate court taking over city cases.
A public hearing was also required. It was held at 9 a.m., Monday, Sept. 26. I dared to speak, pointing out how the city had manipulated democratic processes and committee membership to ensure the court would be dissolved. If I had known Luna was going to put it on the record, I would have used my five minutes differently.
After public testimony, the court committee members spoke. Committee member and Municipal Judge Beatrice Sanders was speaking when Luna’s patience for democratic processes ran out. She cut Sanders off—“This needs to stop,” Luna said. “This hearing is just a formality. The court is done.”
Luna went on to say there was no sense “in beating a dead horse,” implying that many discussions had been held behind closed doors on the matter.
The horror comes with the realization that authoritarian rule is so secure in T or C that one of its demagogues, Luna, can now publicly chide and interrupt an elected, sitting judge for daring to have her say on the dissolution of her court with no consequences.
Gilead is here when the owner of the local “newspaper,” read propaganda arm of the government, and her cohorts can summarily dissolve the local judicial branch of the T or C government.
As the only other member of the public to speak at the “public hearing” I was appalled when nearing the meeting’s conclusion it was announced that in reality it was a sham as not a proper public hearing with sworn testimony by respondents. So what was the point exactly?
To say that the committee fulfilled the statutory requirement? I think the analysis by Ms Sloan adequately answered that. Missing from the statute’s points, however was the fact that the voting public could over turn the court’s dissolution, with a petition and possible election by the community’s voters. That will likely happen if the city commission approves the dissolving of the Municipal Court. Keep in touch.
What did the 3rd member have to say? What was the justification presented by Luna and the other member?
The three members representing the public were City Manager Bruce Swingle, Frances Luna and Klarene Rich. Judge Sanders appointed Rich. Swingle and Luna were appointed by Mayor Amanda Forrister and the city commission, respectively.
Swingle said the city could use the money spent on the court. He also said the court docket moved too slowly. This is the same argument as Luna and the other committee members.
Rich did not attend and her statement was not read. I received a copy via email. Rich volunteered in Sander’s alternative sentencing programs. Sanders worked with youth, DWI offenders and others. Instead of sending them to jail, they had to check in regularly with the court, etc. Rich obviously wanted these programs to continue. She pointed out how the family suffers if offenders are jailed. Rich said she didn’t understand why the city wanted to do away with the court other than to save some money. She pointed out the city’s priorities–city salaries have been raised and there are lots of city projects on the books.
Not shocked at all by Luna behavior as she continues to think she is above it all. We need to get the “me” people out of commission and get some “us” people in.
Due process? Evidently not in TorC….