MGO Meeting on Tuesday, January 11, 7:30 p.m. A Conversation with Judge LaDoris Cordell
| Hello MGO Members and Friends: Judge LaDoris Cordell was the first African American woman to sit on the Superior Court in Northern California and is also a former Independent Police Auditor for the City of San Jose. During her many years of service on the court she saw firsthand how prejudice has permeated the legal system, but she still believes in that system. She will provide an insider account, sharing stories of the cases that came through her courtroom and revealing the strengths, flaws, and much-needed changes within our courts. This presentation, which coincides with the publication of her new book, Her Honor—My Life on the Bench, What Works, What’s Broken, and How to Change It, will take you into her chambers where she haggles with prosecutors and defense attorneys and into the courtroom during jury selection and sentencing hearings. She will also use real cases to highlight how judges make difficult decisions while facing outside pressures from the media, law enforcement, lobbyists, and the friends and families of the people involved. Her account of her years on the bench shines light on all areas of the legal system, from juvenile delinquency and the shift from rehabilitation to punishment, along with the racial biases therein, to the thousands of plea bargains that allow our overburdened courts to stay afloat—as long as innocent people are willing to plead guilty. (The above introduction was excerpted from publisher’s information and edited for this announcement.) This event will be from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Register/join the meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrf-6hrDMtHNUjjmXBmVsZWxIgz14RGwg9 To join by phone: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 826 8792 8761 Passcode: 313751 Happy New Year to everyone! |
Metropolitan Greater Oakland Democratic Club 