Black Women Judges Making History

and then blame it on us. Don't get twisted on code. And we danced for no furntament biscuits. It's Willie d y'all scar faces in the building. Collectively we are the ghetto boys. Reloaded another episode of information and instructions to help you navigate through this wild, crazy, beautiful world. In the studio Genesis Draper, Genesis Draper, Judge Judge Shannon Bowling, Judge Judge Turia Finch and Judge Tanya Jones Welcome to the show A. Collectively they are four of the nineteen

women judges, well women at first. They wasn't judges at first, but they were women who successfully grant a judge in two thousand and eighteen, and they made history. I mean, everybody's talking about them all over the world. The President said something about and they gave him more the award. Everybody everybody around, everybody right, everybody right, everybody right, everybody right, congratulations and welcome to the show. How how how does it feel like to really be like know that you

got your name etched in history like that was? That was big. We were proud of y'all. Y'all. Probably y'all probably didn't really feel all of the effects because y'all didn't talk to everybody obviously, but we were really proud of y'all. Unspeakable, How do I mean we really were if I had to put it, put myself back in their place again, just lost for words. It was the first time anything like that had happened. And honestly, throughout the process we didn't feel like we were doing anything

particularly special. Well, no, just during that process we didn't recognize it and understand it until after and people were approaching us, and there were people, grown men coming and we were at a church and grown men coming up to a shaking our hands with tears in their eyes because they had never seen anything like that before, and it was probably in those moments that I really got to recognize the gravity of what had happened. Absolutely, it

is the true illustration of blessed beyond measure. I mean, it was such a mind blowing experience and still to this day, you know, it's still just it's something we didn't plan for it like this, but it took off, and it's just been a blessing to see how many

people have been blessed by it. The little girls that we still see today, the middle aged women, the older women, all of the above, and so it's been really really new ladies were lawyers absolutely in the beginning that went on to be judges and good lawyers too because I was a litigator over twenty years, I worked on both sides of defense prosecutor as well as a defense attorney. So um, I've seen and done it all, you know, up to capital murder. So it was a necessity to

move forward, and judge just made sense. How easy was that transition going going from lawyer to judge? It wasn't easy. You do have to make a mental change. Does that makes sense? And probably explain that mental change? Talk to me, all of us were defense attorneys right before becoming a judge, and so you do have to um step out of that litigator. I'm not this is not my argument anymore.

I'm not the person advocating for anything other than you know, protection of eights and ensuring that those things are happening. But to be conscious of not showing favor to either side, because I think we all remember what that was like to be practicing in front of judges who are putting their fingers on the scale. So we're super conscious we're

just putting their finger on the scale. Means so we were all defense attorneys at least on the end, and for years we've practiced in front of judges who um were like the extra prosecutor in the court. Oh so would you say, would you use the word unfair? And

for sure? No, for sure? And so I think you know, we are very mindful of that on both ends, right, So we don't want to put our friends on the scale for prosecution or for the defense, since a lot of us um tend to be defense oriented, since that that's where we were most recently, so we're super super conscious of that. Well, I think we all have implicit bias, but it's very it's very dangerous though, when someone is a judge and sitting, uh judge of human beings, but

the way it can actually control human beings live. And you know, when you have a judge in that type of situation, you know, how do you guys like navigate that? You know, how do you how do you push your particular implicit biases aside and say, you know, I have to do what's right. I have to do the righteous thing, not just the emotional thing. I think for the at least the judges here, we all took implicit bias training,

and I believe all judges should take that training. I mean, no matter where you come from, you just need to have that because sometimes that's why, as inplicit you don't realize you have it, you know, But I think it's really just being aware, conscious, awake at the wheel and remembering what your role and responsibility is and not just kind of sitting there is an option, can you can you not take that? It is optional right now, and

so they're making moves. Judges are trying to make moves in the state of Texas to make that a requirement because we do go to a judicial training when you first come in, when you're first warning as a judge, before you sit on the bench, you go to this judicial training whatever, and so they're trying to make that a requirement, and so I think it's important do you have to take any type of racial sensitivity courses? Is the judicial system racially insensitive? And at sometimes? Can you

see this from where you are? Is it insensitive in your opinion? Can you look at some cases and it was like, Wow, they did that because this person was a minority, or they did that because this person was there, So this was a female, That's why they did this to her. I certainly saw some of these things from some of the people who are on the bench previously.

I mean I had a judge make a comment in open court an individual indicated that they were from Guatemala, and the judge responded by accident where they are party and missed their team and so you know, it was an audible gap in the court room. But this was the norm. Um. You know. I don't think anything came of that. I don't know if any you know, complaints

were filed or anything like that. But just to have a person, as you said, in authority who's making decisions that impact your life, your future, your family's lives, and to think that about you simply based on where you come from. UM, And I think it's it's etched kind of in the fabric of who we are, having grown up and experienced that, I'm from South Park and I say it all the time, very proud of where I

came from. They all know it where I go. UM. But I know what it's like for people to label you to you know, to have these thoughts about you just based on what your zip code is or where you went to school. And so, having grown up experiencing that in various forms, I'm especially sensitive to the fact that people you know come before this court from all

walks of life, and I have to be open. I have to look at the case and not say, well, this person is automatically guilty of this person didn't deserve a second chance of this person you know lives here, so they're only gonna go out and commit more crime.

I have to be fair, um, neutral, um, and make sure that I'm I'm taking each case into consideration because that's how it wants someone to do for me, a member of my family, and as a defense attorney, that's what I wanted I wanted the judge to see my client as a as a person, as a human being. That's so so so getting getting being on the bench

and and and seeing different cases. A lot of other judges would railroad you because of the color of your skin or that you know, they would convict you on something that you didn't do, but something that you might do. Jug or go ahead, said, judges set the tone right. And so also jurors see judges as obviously persons of authority. And if you have a judge that frowns at the defense attorney or you know, makes a comment at the defense attorney during a trial, that translates to the jury.

So the jury then you know, I've had where judges had screens. They have a computer screen facing you, the defense attorney, but the jury is over here. So the judge is making faces every time you, as a defense attorney, say something. All of that translates to you know. Plus it's also not something that's audible that you can get on record unless you catch it. Now can catch it and you see it, and you can say, well, I object to the judge making the face and for and

you say that in front of the jury. Because you're trying to just a perfect your record, you know, and also say that, look, I recognize what you're doing. And also judges have the ability to evaluate the equity and the fairness in these deals that many people were pleading guilty to that just wasn't right. I know many of us. Now, I know my court is considered it no first time conviction court unless the court you know, the code or

the statue requires it. But we have judges now that we didn't have before that we'll look at an offer that the state is given the defense, and then even if they agree, we look at the agreement and determine whether this is even the just thing to do. Just because a person is willing to take a plea doesn't make it the right thing to do. Because we're in this era, we have so many other options other than convictions,

diversion programs, the further judication and formal dismissals. And unless the judge forces the parties to consider all alternatives, because attorneys are required to be not only zealous advocates for their client, but to give them all those options to make that informed decision about their case. And so I remember that was not always happening, you know, the railroad, and you're talking about, Hey, they're gonna time serve taking time, serve,

take it, time, serve, take it. But that's not the case. You get a young seventeen, eighteen, nineteen year old person has never been in the system, but all they know is I want to get out of here and move on with my life. And I tell them all the time, I'm sure you'll do too. It's a conviction, it's a criminal history, is not a credit poort, it ain't gonna

fall off in seven years. A serious situation, and so it just takes that kind of consciousness, awareness and being awake at the wheel to make sure these things don't happen and to care to the compassion to care absolutely. Houston is one of the most diverse racially diverse cities in the country, but not until recently have it's judges

been really diverse. And so again we salute you guys, you know, for the sacrifices that y'all made to run and put your reputations on the line, and you know, go through all of the ridicule that that you gotta go through and even press that you press the pressure that you've got you have to deal with on a day to day basis, because I know that there are people within the halls of those those walls down there and the judicial system that don't want you all in

there come. A lot of them have a lot of power, and I know that they're working daily and nightly, you know, to try to get you guys removed. And and that's the sad part about it, is that they see change for the better and they don't want that. You know, some people they only care about, uh equality when they want more equality. You see, I don't care about it for everybody. It's just say I care about equality because I want the equality, you know. And so uh, that's

why it's so important. And and let's just say exactly what it is. And we talk about emplicit bias. We're talking about a lot of times, well in the past, it's almost exclusively than white people judging everybody, you know. And so that's why this diversity is so important. We need more black judges, we need more Hispanic judges, we need more Latino mean, more Asian judges. We every city

should reflect its population evenly in every industry. I don't care where it's the medical industry, whether it's my enforcement, whether it's the judicial system, the pillars of the community should reflect what the people look like. And so we're moving in that right, in that in that direction. But it's a trip. How evil some people are who have the power to derail that, how hard they work, you know, to try to derail that. You know, how can any of you like give us like an example of what

it's like to deal with that. We're dealing with it constantly, right, I mean, on my walk in here like building, calls from you know, my coordinator letting me know this is gonna this. We've heard from this group or somebody tags you on this Facebook thing. Because there's a really well funded, well funded machine that is invested in turning this around. I'm so proud of the judiciary the way it looks now, civil family, juvenile probate. I mean, we got all we

got black women, we have Asians, we have um. Now we we could potentially be electing our first female sick judge in the country in the country. So I don't want to to sick. She pronounces it sick. I've always said seek that. I think that she pronounced a sick um. So I never can get a solid read on it if it's strictly religion. Um, but I do think it's maybe a cross between religion, and I'd rather her come on your show and maybe talk about it. So I think I think it would say we would American yes,

suasion and so uh. And when I said that, I say, I mean East Asian Indian Americans, not American Indian. Um seek is it is it? S? I? H Yes, that's h And So she would be the first female elected in the country if she gets elected. But that's what Houston represents, you know, right, So she would be the

first that's what Houston represents, that kind of opportunity. And just though that type of representation really makes such a difference, right because judges that we have all kind of different perspectives, they tell me things that I don't, you know, I'm not always aware of. Right, Ramadan could have gotten right past me ten year ten years ago, it won't you know, it doesn't now, right because I have an opportunity to celebrate with my colleagues and and and so it's it's

just a totally different culture. But there are people out there. I saw somebody posts recently. Defense attorney posted recently, Uh, oh man, I just wish we could could go back to good old days. I'm like, whatever before I was working or even before I was born, because I sure can't recall it. The you know, these are the good old days and there are more to come if we can just hold a line. And on top of that, I think with people coming back to your point as well,

the importance of diversity in these particular positions. Many people, including myself, underestimate the power of judges. I thought our job solely was on the bench. We were in the black robe with the gavel that we don't even use, right, But really it's much more. It's deeper than that. Right. We make policy when it comes to those decisions as to how cases, what process, how the criminal justice system flows.

There were so many county administrative subcommittees and committees that we sit on to determine certain things, whether it's how individuals are processed through the joint processing symptoms, whether it I mean's so many things I can't even get the bel bone bore where it's whatever it is. There's so many committees that I know you go ahead and jump in just always to tell you what you're not saying is what they didn't say, let me take a moment

to brag on my colleagues. Okay, this, this right here, city, at this table, is the really the leadership of the county criminal courts right now as it sits where some of the first African American people ever to sit on the bench within our courts number one, but certainly the first to hold leadership positions. So, Judge Finch is the presiding judge over all sixteen criminal courts. Judge Jones is

the administrative judge over all twenty county court judges. Judge uh Draper will be the next presiding judge over all criminal courts, uh, you know, county criminal courts. I am the former, the preceding administrative judge over all twenty of

the county. We jumped in not only to hold the positions and and and really sort of even the playing field, but we jumped in and took on leadership roles, uh committee positions to make sure that not only were we ruling correctly in court and those things were going correct,

but we changed policies so that it affects everyone. That's really the big you know, rub, That's what they really are upset about, is we we we got at the table, We took the seats at the table, and we were in leadership positions making changes from the front, also in the back. How do you hold on to that power? What do you and what can the people do to make sure that you not only hold on to that power, but grow that power, strengthen it. Supporting vote right, I mean,

get the word out. We need people talking about the fact that I guess the Houston nineteen are running were more than just the Houston nineteen. Other African Americans, other minority judges, political candidates are joining us or have joined us, and they are making big strides along with us. Um. The beauty of what we can do in the county criminal courts is these four ladies, in addition to probably

a few others. Really we make collective decisions. We talk about what's best for the county, and we're able to um, you know, quite frankly, vote things in the way we think that they should go. UM and we do so with the community in mind. What's gonna work best, what's gonna be the biggest flash, what's the most important part? In my opinion, you touched on that, you know, what we did with Belbon reform and um you know how

huge that was. People don't don't really get it. And it's because I think what people here is, you know, kind of what you hear out in the media, right, because it's it's been totally distorted, But people who actually experience it, whether or not they have been accused, had a family member accused, or just visited the courthouse for jury duty, right, people can really feel the difference in

what Bill Reform really is. Right, What it really is is um us not overcrowding our jails with people accused of petty offenses, um extracting ten dollars fifty dollars, a hundred dollars for them, or trying to force a trying to force a police that's all. That's what it was for, is to force people to play guilty for revoting. Podcast will be right back after the poet, Okay, j Draper.

What if you have a seventeen year old high school kid who hangs out with the round crowd and get some self involved at it armed robbery where his buddy gets shot and they go to jail for robbery and I cool. Do you offer them immediately offer them a bond or do you say Okay, you gotta sit well wow until we work the staying out. So let me say this. We're not and I asked this question because you know that seventeen year old kid was me allegedly right. What I say, we're a little limited in what we

can say and what we were doing certain situations. But this and we're misdemeanic court judges, so we don't have

this issue come up in our courts. But what I will say, the beauty of having us and some of our colleagues that are at the district court level is you have people who's lived experiences, understands that right and understands ways in which they can give people an opportunity, Because what if a person can be safely released whatever they're trying, whether it's aggravated robbery or that, if a person can be safely released, if we have can editions under which we can safely have them out on bond

while they wait for their trial, we are legally required to do that, um and so we have to ask those questions. It helps when the people they're are familiar with where you're from, familiar with, um, some resources that might be in your neighborhood. You know, I know what's in my neighborhood. I know the shape center is reliable. I can send somebody over there, you know too, so they can use up their time, different places that people can go. It helps when people have that lived experience, UM.

And so I think all of us we think about that with every single person that comes in front of us. If I see somebody come from the audience and there was is that your mom sitting next to you? Is

that your mom? You live with your mom? Okay? You know, kind of really trying to figure out how we can get this person through the process, UM without derailing it, because it really does benefit all of us when we can let a person turn into this and not only that, it doesn't help the process when we immediately treat presumptively innocent people like they're guilty. Right, and so what the judges should be doing, which I believe we do, is

doing a deep dive into the situation. The fact that somebody is here doesn't make them guilty, But what it means is that we need to explore what's going on here and what can we do to minimize the most restrictive situations. To me, incarceration should be a last result when you're looking at a spectrum if you care, what I think you should do is forget the cause number and in some ways kind of forget the charge because

it's just a title. I think that's why you're supposed to have a prosecutor and a defense attorney there and ask questions. Okay, let me hear probable cause. Great, you said that, defense attorney, You tell me about your client, and they don't have anything to say. I send them back and say, what, go talk to your client, and then I'll talk to you. Right, why is this person standing here? Right? What can we do to avoid putting

them in jail? Right? Especially at this point. We'll talk about you know, post adjudicative matters later, should we get there. But I'm looking at this as how can I potentially save this person, protect the community, and ensure that I am following the law, you know, and allowing people's constitutional rights to actually exist and not just be something we talked about. That's powerful, very that, that is extremely powerful.

When I think about what you just said, there are people that have historically sat in those seats and judgment of others, and they understand exactly what you're saying because they know how to use it with their own People use it all the time, these diversion programs and stuff they have. I didn't even know diversion programs existed until I got to the money. You see, But they automatically get these divergent programs, whether they got money or not.

It's do a lot of times, these divergent programs are offered to them. We don't even know nothing about it. I knew nothing about these diversion programs, and so I've seen so many times where white judges will sit there and they are comfortable saying stuff like this, Well, you know, I'm not gonna ruin this kid's life. He's seventeen years old, she's she's eighteen years old. She's fifteen. He's fourteen, he's sixteen, he's seventeen, he's thirty five years old. The guy has

never been in trouble before. Sure, he raped five women, but that's not the point. Some of these judges are so bold. They will say stuff that they know that it's offensive, but they feel like they can't be touched, and they they just say whatever the hell they want to say. You said the magic words. They said they felt they could not be touched and that was true

for a long time. And I want to say that you know now that we're on the bench, we're on the bench, we see more judicial complaints, more many many or many many more because now if we're doing and listen, we're not even touching the mark at what was thrown at us. I took so much as a defense attorney, and you do that because you take it. You're taking it for your own client, to help ease the situation for them. But judges said so much. They spoke un

I mean just literally unchained, unleashed. They could say and do essentially whatever they wanted to do and there were never any consequences. But you let one of us step left the right of the right. It is. It is huge we have and you know, so when when I say support, I really mean support because oftentimes we're fighting not only to make sure that fairness stays on the bench, but that you know we're there and they're not trying to clip us all so that we can't even run again.

Do you know they listened to our interviews, Like every time we sit down to do an interview, it's a risk, like literally there are people are opposition that listen to our interviews. They look at everything we do to foul judicial complaints, and they do that to keep us silent. So they want to take advantage of our silence and expose in the media or whatever theme or you know whatever. And so you know, that's why I really appreciate you

all taking time to even talk with them. Just need to be out in the open yet absolutely, because it's important to expose them, which you flip its them, because that's that one thing that I know about them. They don't like being exposed. See, they're counting on the power that they have to scarybody and silence everybody. And so most people kind of go along and get along with it. But when you expose them the stuff, Oh yeah, they know their place. Everybody got a place, they know that place.

When they get exposed, they don't like that. And they know what works. They know what works. And so whenever we look like we're getting somewhere, they say, uh, they're soft on crime. They letting they're letting everybody out of the jails. They don't know what they're doing. They don't have enough experience, they don't have this, that and the other. They know what works. They play on people's fear tactics.

And then if you if if you do everything, you can do everything right as everything right, and you let one guy, you let one guy out of Lord who went out and just ended up just being rotten and killed. Somebody did something dirty. You see that she need she let them out and they But but they do this type of stuff all the time, right because you can't you know, you have no crystal ball beings a second chance.

You try to give people a chance, and you don't know who's going to who's who's going to walk straight and narrow, or who's going to just decide that they're going to go out and do something crazy. Again, You just don't, so you just try to use your best judgment, you know. So, I mean that's the thing, and they understand that because that's what they do also. But when it comes to us, it's a total different thing. Soft

on crime, they went unchecked softly and gay bonds. You could you could commit a murder, alleged commit a murder and your bond might be thirty thousand dollars. That was standard and typical in een and prior. Today, the felony court judge is not us, but the felony court judges you deal with that. They are in the millions routinely, routinely, but there soft on crime, letting people out, you know, and they never talk about the whole story, the failures

of the other side. And I'll just going to say at the district attorney's office, you know, doing what they're supposed to do too, because oftentimes they weren't held because you know, the judge didn't require it, didn't hold their feet to the fire, so they didn't timely file motions to make sure their bonds were either increased, starret or revoked um. Nor did they bring evidence that you know, because the statute has a certain standard um, they didn't

present those things that happens. Now. I just want to tell you so much again, thank you for what are you just saying, because if anything grinds my gears being a judge, is that there's this narrative that we don't care about the their community that we live in and that we just want to make sure that everybody unsafe and dangerous go out into the community. We're judges. We're gonna sit back here like we live on the bench.

You know, I go home. You just went to target today, right for this interview or wherever I go to Kroger's. And so it does not benefit us or our community to just be reckless and put people out on the street. We don't have a crystal ball, but we surely work with the We do the best we can by working with the information that is presented to us, and that's all we really can do. To be quite honest with you, our goal is that no one commit any crimes. But

that's just not a reality. And for today's media and for today's opposition to pretend that people on bond reoffending is a new kind of novel concept is ridiculous. How is a former prosecutor, former public defender, and private defense attorney, And I'm here to tell you I've done so many bail hearings on people when I was either a prosecutor a defense attorney, on people that were out on bail

and reoffended. You know why that happened because people are people, right, and all you can do is do what we can. But whoever is listening your judge's care in Harris County, we want you to live comfortable, be saved, leave your door unlocks if you can, not saying don't do that, but it's a different age. Then we have more guns available and lawful and legal. Then it's the judge's faults when people have guns. I don't understand that. And when

when people are hurting each other. We don't want that. I don't want that at all, you know. But I appreciate you for recognizing the fact that we're not clairvoyant. We're not psychic, nor do we have a crystal ball. But God knows, we work really hard to make sure we do us the best for not only the person in front of us, the alleged victim, and the community as a whole. And that's not an easy job. And

to pretend like it is. And this rocket science is just the biggest life from hill and we don't and they but they do that intentionally, and they do it intentionally because that's how they control the narrative. Just like when you talk about crime in the neighborhood or whatever, they try to make it seems like a the snitching thing. They're trying to make it seems like black people just love crying, like black people just like being living in danger.

We just like, we don't want no protection from the police. No, we don't want protection we don't want this false narrative of protection from faith corrupt police officers. So what they're doing is that they'll be cool with uh, they'll be cool with all of the bad things going on there and all of that, and they don't try to fix anything. But then the moment that somebody trying to hold a police officer accountable, they try to say, oh, see, y'all

anti police officers. No, we're anti corrupt police officers. But the but the corrupt police officers try to hide behind the one or two alright police officers and say, see, you know y'all trying to attack police officer. We're just here to protect y'all. But we don't want that type of protection. We want to be protective. We want to be safe in our own communities. We won't say we won't we want the thugs to kill us, the dope dealers.

We want the asses out too, because they're destroying the neighborhoods. You know, if it's like this, if you're not helping, you're hurting, all right, that's any situation in life. If you're not helping, you're hurting. So look around in your neighborhood and look and look at every every individual who's helping who's hurting, right, and so you want it's like, we we don't want black judges because we're trying to stack the deck or whatever. We've been down so long. Man,

we're cool with just some fattis. We just give the fatness and we're straight, you know what I'm saying that because because we feel like if somebody did something wrong, they should be punished. But look, the goddamned punishment fit the crime. You know, you don't get no body, no damn forty years in prison for two grams of cocaine. That's crazy crack. Yeah, you know, but you don't do if you don't do people like that, man, you know.

But but that's what compassion comes in, and that's where relatability comes in, right, and even on the flip side, so you know, treating people fairly because we have a different perspective. But even on the flip side, you know, I have told other people when I first took the bench, you know would come up, you know, hive dollar lawyers would come up and say, you know, hey, can we you know, just get it, pay us fine and then not do any jail. And I was like, are you

asking me if you can buy a shorter sentence. You know that's illegal, but you can talk to me about why you know you should get a shorter sentence. They were, so it was if we all know that was routinely done. You pay a fine, you don't have to do the jail time. But for people that don't have money, they paid with their time in jail, and so you know, it was an adjustment for lawyers that when I would say that to them, like, are you asked me if you can buy a shorter sentence? And they were looking

at me like that it is what I said. So you know, but now nobody's even nobody's asking me in at least in a couple of years, because they're used

to that's not happening up in here. So come to me with a legal argument for why your person deserves time served from into that, but don't talk to me about something that somebody else can't access, which is money, right, Like, that's just not something that I'm going to be making a decision based on um and so just kind of even flipping it having you know, lawyers come up to me and say, oh, well, you know he's he's a doctor, so he can't do the he can't do the time.

I'm like, you think all these people sitting out here in the audience can do it. They can't do the time either. Let's talk about why your person can't because then being a doctor that that's not that's not gonna move me. Let's talk about why your person doesn't need to go to jail. So that's the corruption where you know, right, it's not you know, just law enforce it's not an

anti law enforcement. It's just anywhere ever you sit, whether you're judged, law enforcement, prosecutor defense attorney, wherever, it's just not needed. Right, that's not what's gonna help us at all. So I admire you for taking that stance. I'm gonna have to use that line. It was funny the first few times I worked it out, and now like nobody does. I don't know if the law enforcement know that. Who

I know, somebody's listening. But people who actually law enforcement that come into our courts are not ones that like you know, reading Facebook post, you know, but ones who actually come in our court testify in our court. I feel confident that law enforcements that has come into my court they know that I'm above board, it's just what the law is, what it is, you know, And so all that extra that's inflammatory on the internet, that's all just fake and and and stuff to get people worked up.

But people that actually experience our courtrooms. You can ask anybody that's come in there, they'll say the same. And to deflect, right, that's what the social media and that's political theater. It's to deflect from whatever is happening on in their own camp because they know that we can't speak to whatever the issue is in the reality. Y'all know, it's true. Much of what we hear or see, none

of them have stepped in your courts. You know. I've never seen many of the people that make the most statements in court, and I even any of them to come. They're not here, but they have the most to say in our livestream, our live stream. The doors of the court are open, and I allow that opportunity for you to come in, and I welcome the opportunity, of course, but I can't talk about cases, nor can I, you know, get a forecast on what I would do as a

judgement were very ethical. But if there's something that you say that's not happening right, let us know, but don't post it. It's right. It's live stream. You can click on the court live stream because we wanted to make sure that even when things got tough, when the pandemic hit and people couldn't access it was already hard to access our courtrooms with traffic and the lines and insecurity, so it's already hard to access the court of court.

We decided we wanted to make it easier accessible. We can't close the doors of the court house. People need to know what's going on, so we live stream. We live stream. It's not popular. Some people like really don't like it, but we live stream so that people have access to see what's going on. They can just click right from their phone to see what's happening in Court nine, in Court twelve and four and the rest of them. Do you prafer defendants come to a court wrong? Would

you like to live stream? I don't know. There are circumstances. There are circumstances that they need to be there, right, but most of the time they don't have to come. That's the beauty of it too. And if you want to zoom in, you can. But if we're not doing anything substantive for your case that day, you don't need

to be there. Yeah, I mean we we've we've said from the beginning criminal court is not conducive to a d virtual But what we did learn, one of the blessings of all of this is that we did learn a lot can be done virtually, and particularly with the tall ask of asking people to come downtown and what in the county this large. It's really a big deal, and so we've made it more accessible for people to be able to appear because short of like you about to go, you know, you're needing to go into custody

because you have a warn or something. If somebody comes onto my life and says, hey, I had court today, I couldn't make it down there, I'm not gonna be like, well, you were supposed to be here, you're not here live, I'm like, okay, um, is the reason why you're not here? Because they have they in my court. You're required to come for the first time, I like to lay eyes

on you. We talked face to face about you know, kind of what the process is, what to expect, and then the last setting, right that's your trial or your plea or you're dismissing or whatever. All that in between the lawyers can can can discuss that and so but sometimes I have somebody that calls and they're like, oh, you know, my car broke down, and so I zoomed in. Okay, alright, but let's let me pull your case up. Do you have a lawyer and try to work with the people,

because you know, I just I remember the day. I've always I was a public defender before I became a lawyer, the whole time, at the federal and state level, and so I've always represented people who don't have resources. And I remember routinely people who are always already stretched thin being arrested for things like showing up late to court when we know that the line is like an hour away, you know, different things like that. So you know, just this,

it's night and day. What is now? What about when you know a train was on the track and we don't do that quite honest. Yeah, that's not that's a practice, that's not court not I tell everyone day one, you don't have to come to court if you're in contact with your lawyer, you know, violating your bond conditions. I don't need to see you until it's time to either

dispose of your case where that's a pleaer trial. Other than that, your lawyer can show up an efficient one right because and we still have dockets, clearance rates and above above, So whoever is listening that may not understand that process. We're still disposing of cases as we should be in above the hundred percent clearance rate, which means that just to kind of break it down, one hundred percent means that we are matching the number cases they

are coming in. So you have ten cases coming in and you're closing out ten cases, that's a hundred percent. Now if you're closing out above the amount of cases that was fouled that day, then you're exceeding, so you're hitting old cases, backlog cases exactly. So I'm proud to report that the county criminal courts have been above a hundred percent for quite a few months now. I think today we sit at about a hundred and sixteen percent.

So and then we have a jail population of only three hundred and twenty six people about three hundred misdemeanor only people incarcerating the Harris County jail, which means if our jail population or the total capacity is ten thousand, that the misdemeanor County criminal courts a log inmates are less than five percent. I think we calculated like three point four percent points to the population, which is what we have in the sastest training clearance rate and reduction

in case backlog. So we're still a right man. I like that. Man. I remember, like back in the gap, going to court was like going to a public hand man. You saw somebody with him mean true basically didn't look nothing like you and did not have your best interest at heart at all, no compassion muchsoever, man, And you'd be like, man, I don't ever want to come back you no more constantly? Which of you remember I do when I wasn't practicing. Yeah, so, so you know, I

believe that you know something. I understand that judges have to have a certain amount of latitude, But do you guys ever think that sometimes you guys a task with two latitude? Good question. What are you asking? Like, do you feel like we have too much discretion? And yeah? So it you know, it can be We've seen it abused of course. Um, but you know, for us, I think it's been helpful to kind of have that discretion and to be able to use our discretion, but we

certainly have seen it abused in the past. So I think what we try to do is is be a part of UM policies that will outlast us. Fair policies that are here if we're here, are not UM, which is which has been tougher than we I think thought it would be. But what about when you have that discretion and you use that discretion unfairly? For example, that's

a case about Larry Hoover. I didn't uh, Larry who was from Chicago, right, and Larry who is serving six life sentences uh various crimes under this new law, Larry Hoover should be at home, but the judge has the complete discretion to allow him to go home or state. Meanwhile, all of the other people that was involved in his case all at home, and other people at home who met this so called this this so this so called the name of it? What's the name of it? Next step?

Second step? First, I think it's a step. First step. So all these people that met, all these other people that met that threshold, they at home, but they got but they got Larry still locked up because Larry has the youth. Ear the young people like Larry, They respect Larry, and he's one of those guys who could actually help. I'm not saying he's the complete answer, but he can help clean up the streets of Chicago. But they don't want him to go home because they liked the madness.

It's tricky though, right, because it wasn't that long ago, because he has a federal conviction, right, So it wasn't that long ago that they didn't have discretion in federal court, right, and they were mandatory, and so people were getting really I mean he likely came through through around that time, right, A lot of change that, right, a lot of changes.

Then that's when he got those those But then so then you have the other side of it, so now we don't have Now that's illegal, right, UM, Mandatory mandatory sentencing is illegal. Mandatory minimums are not. But mandatory sentencing UM guidelines was. It's been declared illegal, and so now you just have discretion. The problem is not necessarily the discretion. The problem is the makeup of you know, this is not a group um that has the type of varying

experiences that we enjoy in the hair as Canady judiciary. Right, So you want judges to have some discretion. The problem is when you have them I won't say monolithic, because everybody is not the same, but a very similar group of people that get selected for these lifetime appointments, you're gonna get the same projects. About to say, also their lifetime appointment can't so there's no consequence ever for what decisions they make. And so discretion, that's the ultimate use

of discretion. You know, we have discretion, and in fact, there are many instances I would I think you all agree we're trying to hold on to some of our judicial discretion and trying to take it away from us at every turn. And we realize that that we, like I said in earlier, even the playing field, you know, by using our discretion where when and where appropriate. But it's like that, it's not like when you have a lifetime appointment and you you're never questioned again ultimately on

what you do. They can appeal it, but that has no effect on whether or not you get the state in that position. And that that's cold blooded man, because I don't believe in that those lifetime appointments, because you know, people change and and and sometimes people go in with a certain type of mentality and you know what I'm saying, sometimes they go in and they just they are who they are. That's nothing you can do about it. Sometimes

they go in and there the diabolical people. You know, there are a lot of people their dillabolical and both right now. Sometimes you have judges who are just really evil, wicked people, and that's when they become judgship of human beings and they sit there forever, even on the Supreme Court. I don't even believe that they should be lifetime appointees. You know, that's crazy that you just somebody can just get in a position like that, that type of power,

and it don't matter what they do. They get to sit there anyway, and and make all of these judgments, these these major decisions, he's historical change the lives of your children, yep. And you they set laws all that change the lives of your children and your children's children.

And here in your very diverse city in area. You talked about the diversity of all these black women in the judiciary and really all these talented black women in the legal community, and now one, not one black woman sits on the federal bench in the entire southern District

of Texas, including Houston. Correct, Those are appointing. They have to be appointed what they do, and what they do is once you get in, then now when it's time for you to step down to move around, you endorse somebody who got that exact same mentality that you have. And this is how they keep the control. This is crazy, man, It's a cold games. It's no way that people that have no respect for you should be able to judge it.

You know, if you look back at the history of this country and and and just different cases and how they handled it, Like Jimmy got six months probation, Hero got life sentence for the same crime. Why is that because Timmy when but is not judge? But when Timmy does, we ain't the judge. When when what's the other kid names? When when we Rune does something bad, When you Rune does something bad, it's lock that nigga up he just like the rest up. When Timmy does something bad is

boys will be boys, damn. And you never have to be no judge to say that, Willie. And that's that's the difference. And so they did it. He was a thug. But yeah, you know Jimmy did. He had some mental issues. We also proba or affluenza, like the young man. Yeah, he's so affluent that you know he doesn't understand, and you know, so you shouldn't have these times we get

away with something like this. But when you're trying to explain a lack of resources, a lack of access to things that your client has, people have no comprehension, no compassional understanding for your your client, and you're advocating on their behalf. That blew my mind that we get into the meeting potatoes. Yeah, a lot of a lot of them, Judge Jones is it's like that because you know they that's how they want to be, you see, and they were they were. They were brought in two make sure

that black people don't get justice. They were brought in to lock up as many black people as possible so that they can make them slaves again and run that prison empire they got going on out here. This hustle, this prison hustle. You know, when you look at when you really take a look at everything we've done for this country. We I don't care what anybody want to believe. With your mama thought told you what your dad had told you. We built this country, so we deserve as much,

if not more prosperity than anybody in this country. We built it. We built this country, don't matter what they say. We built this country. So we deserved just as much, if not more than anybody. But you know, the way that they set it up, it's cold The counter set up is cold blooded, telling you you got were on the bottom of to be so higher up in in in the building of this place. We still are at the bottom of everybody else's because it's intentional. The government.

The government makes the laws. These are your yeah, yeah, your lawmakers. They make the laws and then they enforced the laws. No group of people in the history of civilization has ever been able to reach their full potential. Talk to them when they've been talking about their own government for failure. Talk to them. You can't you get kiss impossible every move you make right there, because after this lovely group of jugger just came in, they changed

the requirements to become a judge. That's the way they That's that's always used. They've always used the law to circumquem Volt podcast will be right back after the week. I want to know what they did. I want to know what was done to make it more difficult to

become judges. So they increased the number of years needed to become a judge, which really was was silly because we worked so hard to get here that I mean, we don't have those, yeah, but they're trying to add more and more and more things, more and more hurdles. But I think, because I'm trying to think, I want to say they doubled um the number of years required

for district court um and the appellate court. And narrative, right, So this whole narrative was that we won just because we were black, right, and we were black women and inexperience. That's that's the point I'm trying to get, is that what is not being told is that we were qualified and arguably more qualified than the people that we replaced. Many of our predecessors practice maybe a couple of years

if that the bare minimum. Right, we came in certified ten plus years, I mean, all kinds of trials and trial experience, and and and that's what the narrative is. They got in because they're black, not black experience, not necessarily who was saying, who would say this is people who are used to getting in because they're white. Damn Willie, that's who we're saying. Say that myself. I'm sorry. I've

read social media. I've seen it in various you know mediums where the allegation or the belief is that we are not we were not qualified to sit where we're sitting. It's just amazing, you know, not to knock my predecessor, but I had, I think, almost twice the years of practice before I ran for that bench, right, you know, and it's just four times the amount of years of practice, you know, then my predecessor before he was So the

narrative is just being fueled by this. Well, let's raise the criteria because then we old board was put together to do a study your governor did about the board, what we can do and should judges be appointed or should they be elected? And so that didn't make it. They did. They weren't able to push that through, although

I'm sure we haven't heard the last of them. But what they were able to get through of the suggestions from this committee or this commit was to raise the number of years because they're like, oh, well, you know, maybe we can just cut off some of the at least the younger ones. Right. But now here's my thing. Even if you But I'm like, even if we have even if you tell me, oh, this person, they've been practicing before years and they had any trial. You know.

That's why I was about to say, I practiced for years in front of judges who didn't know up from down. So when they're figured out, I guess like the rest of the And I knew that there were judges that were elected that met the minimum criteria. That's not new, that's not But what is false is that we were the group that only got in at the minimum criteria. And that's the narrative that I'm trying to correct. These are the same people who said they voted for Donald

Trump because he wasn't a politician, because he had no experiences? Willie, what is wrong with you today? Man? But why does it change? Throw me for a little too, because it's one of the younger judges who were elected during that cycle. I was thirty two when I was elected, and you know,

people were looking at me kind of sideways. And then you hear about judges that were pointing to civil benches at five seven eight in Harris County, And I'm like, oh, okay, is it because I looked the way that I look, I show up as myself from south part of our box braids, and I sit on the bench just as competent as anyone else right still, neighborhood, you know that

that's to them. That's why, that's why I'm always the biggest advocate for voting, voting, Because we had the right people in place, it was no way that that would have even came up in in In In Austin the government wouldn't even thought of saying, no stuff like that. But what But what do y'all say to people who say that, yeah, y'all judges, but y'all working for a system where we can't win in What do y'all say

to those people say, that's why I'm not voting. Ain't gonna do nothing, because I'm sure somebody right now, man, they ain't gonna do nothing. They ain't gonna change nothing. Man, this system is rigged and ain't nothing we can do. Man, We're done with doom. You're better have us there because because let me say something, all of us will tell you what it was like before. And even if you think, if you think that what you see today is not

as as good um, you are wholly mistaken. Um, today you can walk into court not have a dime, not have uh any family support, nobody's there. You walk in on your own today, and a judge is gonna look at you for you, and the first thing that's gonna come out of our mouth is how we can protect you and make sure you know your rights and make sure that you have now an attorney that's also going to properly represent you. That never happened before. It's certainly

was not the priority. So even if you don't get anything else but to walk through this door, nine nine nine percent of the time, you're gonna get to walk out. That's that's a change too. It used to be sir, ma'am. Oh you didn't come with an attorney today, Well let me take you on in the custody because you go with the bailiff because you don't have an attorney or

come back every day and come back every day. And I mean this is you know, it's just offering a not even above and beyond, we actually follow the law, and then we do it in a respectful manner. Many people walk into the courtroom and they yeah, huh that they've given me everything because they've never seen what respect looks like what common courtesy looks like no one's ever

given it to him. So I don't go off because they don't know how to present themselves and this this situation or embarrassment because of what they're wearing, not understanding that might be the only thing, the best thing that they have to wear. I try to offer them some compassion and some respect up front because moving forward with you in this situation, and we got to deal with it, right,

We got to deal with it. But I'm gonna try to offer you some humanity now, and that's what it because that way I can fix you before you leave here. Whatever time we got, I can help humanity and justice right Because I want to be clear that it doesn't mean you're gonna get what you want, right, but what you can be guaranteed about when you step into our

courts is that you're gonna be treated fairly. Even if you don't get treated and get what you want, at least you can walk and say at least she hurt me, I think she was, you know, fair, because it was a time where you couldn't legitimately say that it was a fair process, Like I didn't get what I wanted any wasn't fair. It's like and he's condescending and rude. Judge. Um to the point that you were making about people, uh walking out, you know you might walk out. Let

y'all messing with the money. When you do that, we destroyed the money money game. They're not happy about that. We stopped paying organizations just you know, you will give a fifty dollar feed to this organization and that organization, and you know we started asking, well, why do they get this money here? Oh, it was just an agreement. I'm not gonna be a part of. I mean, if that's just an agreement that you all make, meaning the parties make the state in the defense, if that's what

you're making, and I won't bother your agreement. But it won't because I court ordered it and you put it on me, you know, funding these organizations, um uh, funding unnecessary things. When I have an opportunity to waive some fees, I do, because why are people still getting locked up because they can't pay you know, the court costs? Why why are they coming back? Because there are there are people there were people that were still coming back when I first got on the bench, that were ordered to

come back to court. If they did not return having paid their court costs, they could be taking the expectations that they would be taken into custody. I'm sure myself, like everybody else, we satisfied those judgments. Let's just satisfy that. I mean, and I get to just wave a magic wand and say, just consider that paid and send this person on engaging people that just do not have the ability to pay, and they were they lived under the fear of I gotta get this paid by a certain time.

But I'm pulling blood from a turnip. I ain't got it. So I got to go stand in front of this judge and they're gonna put me back in jail because I didn't have the three one dollars that it costs. And we're working in a society now, we're in the Great Resignation. We have people that just have fewer resources than what they have before we even enter. There's so many dynamics here that we have to take into consideration. And so we're not going to penalize people because they

don't have money. That's not exactly that's not what the system is about. That's not that's not equitable, it's not fair, it's not just fixing the problem or trying to fix the problem. Y'all go through your training programs. Uh do y'all? Are y'all taught to leave police officers over citizens and question with it? Know? The training that we get is, um, we had to judge get in trouble for this one round it what it what it is designed to do is give you some basic legal foundations to be able

to take the bench on day one. That's what it does. But it does not really go in to the substantive intricacies of the trial process, or not even really the law in of itself. So no to that question, they don't teach us one way or another. Well, why is it that? Why is it that when people get traffic tickets and the police show up, it's it's damn man,

it's can't wait. He's like, police show up. You've been looking at me in that way, and soon as you keep voting, all right, man, I guess they're gonna take the police off the word over mine nine episode of the Town. You know, how does that happen? You know, if if these if somebody got to be some kind of training, you know, it's flipped. Now, you know, this is compassion, this is this is fairness, you know, and

just because Bossman walk in, that don't mean nothing. Bossman could have been lying, he could have been he could have been uh profiling you bro with Bossman. Ain't bossman,

no more boss man boss related judge. Yeah, I definitely want you guys to individually introduce yourself to the publish so they don't know who they're voting for and how important it is to vote for judges that have compassion, that that that that represent you know, the law, you know, represent what's really happening and how you can how they can be helped and treated humane humanely. All you guys are for re election, okay, So yeah, so douce yourself

and then in the name of the court. So my name is Genesis drap from the Judge of Harris County Criminal Court at Law number twelve. I mean I am up for re election this November. And just real quick to your point for people that are saying, well, what does it matter, you know, I ain't gonna make a difference. That's what they're counting on because we have the numbers, and they know it. For one second, we rise up use them numbers. It's a wrap. So they're hoping that

that's what people are thinking. And so if you're out there thinking that, I just want you to know that that is the strategy for the oppressor, is that you will say it doesn't matter. My name is Judge Shannon Baldwin. I'm the presiding judge for Harris County Criminal Court of Law number four. UM. I don't even know what what more to say in this. We said back in vote like your life depended on it, because it does. Not.

Much has changed we are trying to make We've made some strides to make life better when you come into the criminal court house. We need your help to continue that. We can't do it in four years, and they're doing everything they can to push back all of the strides that we've made. Don't let them do it. Tell you you know, get your family, get your friends, take a caravan, take a bus to whatever you have to do, and

get to the polls. Early vote, Early vote, because they will likely close down polling locations, they will change where you're supposed to go vote. Um, they'll do everything they have to do to prevent you from being able to vote. Go vote, Take your family, your friends, get on social media. Because everybody don't have a million dollars to give us to run these campaigns. By the way, but you can get on social media and you can follow these judges. You can follow us, you can retweet, uh, you know,

share the information that we put out, follow us. Hey, get education from us. Right, We're gonna tell you about the issues, but be share it with somebody. You share it with them, that's another person that's gonna come and vote. Educate, get out there and support us and vote again. Shannon for Schelle Bald when the B stands for back to the bench, by the way, back to the come all back. I'm a hometown girl. What else can I say? I'm born and raised right here, Texas, Trinity Garden, All Trinity

Garden people. That was me. I can't speak up in the South Park. But look alace, so come on through. Yeah, we need you, We need your support. We can't do it without you. And in fact, we are here for you. You never had nobody looking out for you, now you do. Don't let them turn the clocks back exactly. I agree. My name is Torria Finch, and I am proud to be your presiding judge of Harris County. Coming the Court

at law number nine. If you heard something on this this wonderful discussion, just you know, email man, I'm gonna put my email out. That's probably dangerous, but I want you to feel free to reach out to us and invite us to maybe an event that you have, or maybe there's some kind of church activity wherever you need us to come to deliver the message, because what we don't want is for their only source of information to be from what they see on the news. That cannot

be the only medium. And so it's t O r I A Torria at Torria, t O r I A. Finch efics and Frank I n c H dot com, Toria at Vote, It's um Toria at Vote, Toria Finch dot com. If you email me, I've ben pass it on to my judicial sisters here and we'll come wherever you need us. But again, get out and vote. Just because you got us in eighteen doesn't mean the work is done. We gotta keep voting because our life always depends on the vote. And thank you all so much

for having us here. Toria at Vote, Torrian Finch dot com. Go ahead, judge right. My name is Tanya Jones. I'm the Presiding Judge of Harris County Criminal Court at Law number fifteen. Has been an honor to serve as your presiding judge for this first term, and I am up for reelection. I am, UM a big believer in community involvement and engagement. You all have heard me talk about where I'm from. I said loud and proud everywhere I go, because I believe I leave in educating and empowering UM

and engaging from the community to the courtroom. So I think that's important, and I think that UM, it is important that you have judges that care about the communities that they serve. Right. One of the things I appreciate about my colleagues here is that we have been active in the community. You don't just see us at Thanksgiving time and give you a turkey and a smile. We disappear, or we create policies that don't benefit the people that

we're asking for support from. But we remain in these communities, involved, engaged UM and making sure that we make a difference. And that's what's UM important. That's important to me because when I go to church and when I go to see my family on the weekends, I have to look at those people in their face, and I have to be accountable to them, you know, for what I do when I put that black role on. And so I

want to just let people know that it's important. Voting is important, staying engaged is important because if you're not at the table, you for sure on the menu. So we have got to be We got to be at the table. And I know that it is a situation where for so long, you know, and it can be frustrating, but for so long, you know, we have done all that we can and you seem like you're not making any headway, that things are not changing. But for sure, if we're not taking part in the systems that we

want to change, they never ever will, okay. And so it's important we need to be involved, in active at every level of government. Precinct chairs, if your super neighborhood groups. Everyone may not run for state representatives, may not run, you know, for some of these other offices, but you can get involved, get active. Um, just spreading the word amongst your community. That is important. That's what gets us to where we need to be. So again, I am

Tanya Jones. I am your presiding Judge of Harris County Criminal Court at Lan number fifteen South Park stand up one more time like a plug real quick, and she brought it up real quick. Okay. So bridging that gap between the court and the community. It's not just something we say, we actually have done that. The Misdemeanor Court Center here has County created a community court. It's called the Bayou City Community Court. It stands for bringing assistance

to you with outreach and understanding. It's a broad court where you don't come to us, we come to you. Our first initiative is the Fresh Start Program and what it is it's a resource fair, but we provide vaccinations, uh, job readiness, re entry programs, all the stuff that you need to get back on your feet. If you're someone that's been in the system and you had a misdemeanor defer probation adjudication that you completed, you can come there and sign up to get registered to be screened for

a possible nondisclosure. A nondisclosure means that if you're eligible in the order is signed, it comes off your record that no one so no one sees it other than law enforcement because they keep everything right. So the Fresh Start Program is what we're doing to try to meet the community where they are to help them get back on their feet. Misdemean of court. So if you did a deferred adjudication, it's the probation that you do that avoids a conviction. Some people think that just because you

complete it deferred, it's done. No, it's not. It's still on your record until you take action to follow a petition for nondisclosure and the judge signs it. Well, instead of waiting on you, we partnered with a lot of county partners that are willing to come to you. We have our next event. I think it's gonna be July the thirties. I'll send it to you so y'all can hopefully pub it come out. Everything is free. We're gonna have a back to school component working with our county

partners that get backpack school supplies, vaccinations, immunization, immunizations. I can't even say it immunizations, thinking some tied too much going only then, but that's what your county courts are doing. We've never had that kind of stuff going on. So these are the kind of judges that you have people for the people that you have the kind of stuff going on. Because the preachers dot. I'm a yeah, look before we get off, I can't get off without saying

when I was getting ready to come here. You know, my husband, Brandon, he never never asked about any kind of campaign if or anything like that. And he saw on our family calendar that I was gonna be on the Ghetto Boys Reloaded. Oh, he had a million questions. You all should know. He's been riding with y'all a long time back in Action day. He wanted me to very hard too. Yeah, question that I wanted to ask you guys if I should ask you soon, but no here,

I just wanted them to. I want to people to know who they worry because this is important here with me, this is very important. Um. You know Kavanaugh, you know Judge Kavanagh, Spreme Court Justice h A man recently came to his house and threatened him, threatened to kill him. Do you guys ever worry about your safety? Absolutely, especially

in this climate. Yes. People don't understand that when when we have these opposite keep calling the oppositional people in the media are putting this false information, they place our lives at risk. You know, that's just the kind of era that we're living in. You know, we are constant targets and it's just not right. We have mothers sitting

at this table. Wives. You know, we're real people, and so every day we leave it is a concern, right because sometimes all people get is what they see, and if they think that we were a threat to them, then what are they gonna do? What can you do to combat it? Though in the meanwhile, I'm just trying to toss the gun carrier. We don't we don't really label the cars and the things like that, which which when we first ran, you know, I put my face in my all my stuff campaign all over my car.

Right this time, I have to tell you how I'm thinking twice about something like that, because I mean, I have a young child and then she's riding with me. I don't want to put her in danger for something like that, just because somebody thinking judge, all judges are bad and they're harming us until we gotta take out the They don't think all judges are bad, just the black ones. Well, they don't think that because they ain't

killed nobody all this time, all right, they ain't. Didn't ain't they beat up nobody, ain't rolled up on nobody else. House all this time, so they ain't worried about all of that. What what what you're dealing with the only kind of people that have that type of mentality of uncivilized munds. He's an uncivilized much just like the dude who ran up and kill them people at the Tops

grocery store in Buffalo. He's an uncivilized mutt. Right. These are people who cannot perform, you know, around civilized people, so they act uncivilized and maybe they commit uncivilized acts. They're not really regular human people, you know what I'm saying. They're not. They're They're the type of people that need to be put down. And so uh look, if you're around me, like you're around me right now and they run up, they're gonna get done up. You did what

I'm saying for real, because that's how we rock. But they count on they count on stuff like that. You know, they count on trying to instill fear. If you think about it, that's the only way that they were able to, you know, hold our people and bondish for so long. You know, they fear at the same time run around and try to act like they can't at the same time. It's like they create chaos and then try to swoop

in and play the hero. That's you said, you said something to me that really stuck man, And I want you to know that you said, Man, if his life was so great, then why would he tell that story again? Man, like like so great and fantastic? Why would you be so called white supremacists? Right? They called themselves white supremacists, like the guy who did the shooting in Buffalo. Right, they called themselves white supremacists. And they said, well, I

did this to preserve the white race. No, you didn't. You did it because you couldn't hack it. You couldn't have life, You couldn't deal with the rejection. You ain't had no woman. You're not good with women. All these dudes for the same kind of profile. They're not good with women. They don't have friends, Uh, at least not not the friends that they want. Uh. They're socially awkward. Usually they're in bad shape, like physically. Uh. These are

these are people who try to say that they're superior. Right, But if you're superior, you would not ruin your life throw your life away for people that you feel are inferior, Like, you wouldn't just throw your life away, Like, if I thought I was above you, who, why would I go and do something to you? You're yeah significant to me, I think about you. Why I worried about you? So if I think I'm so above you, why would I throw my life away for bringing you harm? Why would

I do that? I wouldn't because I feel superior. They don't feel superior. They're not white supremacists, the white in theory artists, all right, That's what they are, is that inferiority complex that they have that make them behave the way that they do when they just take guns and go out and then discriminately just kill people for no reason. Right. So the thing is that all of us, we we are who we are based on a conditioning right, most

of us, however, we're conditioned. That's how we're gonna be right. And so our strongest convictions that we have in life come from people who look like us. All of these people that talk called themselves white supremacists, and they hate black people honestly, so, more than likely, if they were abused, they were abused by a white person. If they were cheated on, they were cheated on by a white person. If they were betrayed, by a friend. That betrayal probably

came from a white person. If they was chased home from school or bullet they would probably bulleted by a white person. If they loaned somebody some money who didn't pay them back, it was probably somebody white. Right, These are white people who gave you your strongest convictions. That makes that that that have that have uh contributed to uh anxiety in your life right and contributed to setbacks, you know. So why is it that you don't hate them?

Because see that's too much like right you got you're gonna hate these people who ain't never really people that ain't never did nothing to you, But you're gonna let them make it over here. See, you're gonna run out of motherfuckers they hate. That's why you won't hate them. That's why you ain't gonna do nothing to them, because you know, you know, you're gonna run out of people to hate. So they're hypocritical. I know who they are, I know them. They don't scare them, don't scare me

at all. I know him for real, been around him. That cowards. They don't civilize much and they're not superior at all at all. Because when I look at him, I sing, I look at him like, you know, a little flick, little fleas. You know what I'm saying, because that's what they are. And and when you call him out for exactly who they are, they get it because they have no rebuttal. And I said, if you was, because I know y'all like those. Yeah, I'm not watching

watching my good friend turn into me. I remember, I remember we had a conversation on the phone with this guy and I went off off off bad, and we really called me back. Man, you gotta chill out on that, you know, Man, you gotta cut that out. Made me like Willie, No, I think you went too fun, Willie. You know it's mad about something. You were mad about something else, man, and you just just lost it. Really, he was putting us in the he was playing that

role on us. We talked about it. Indeed, were I did go off And now I'm watching my partner, you know, uh, seven years later, see what I feel how I felt back then? I felt like that. But you he said, though, Willie, I just said, I just said. You didn't see that him either, because I didn't have a beef with him, like I didn't have a grind like you did. Thank you guys coming over the show. I will spend I'm so proud of you, thank you and everyone. Thank you

so much for being our judges. And I look forward to not ever coming into your courtroom, but right thank you for years ago at the show that we had. Yeah, we had a big concertman, who was the old school concert? Quick? Good apologic, Yeah show you played the old school show. I mean I thought we agree that we wasn't gonna play old school show. It was legends, legends, the legendary stage and let us you know, introduced and just let

folks know. And then we were running and that was huge, major and posted us on social media big time, and yes, what what I gonna do that again? You know, That's what I'm talking to appreciate because it's it's it's imperative that we have people that that that that speak for us, to actually speak for us, you know what I mean that represents, to represent us, because we are in a situation now that's way worse than it's ever been, way worse.

If someone can be convicted, not convicted, but but but prosecuted over what they said in one of these songs, I'm gonna leave that we mean we're gonna talk nomal talk, nomal talks. This episode was produced by Aching and brought to you by the Black Effect Podcast Network at Our Heart Radio