Have you ever sat through courtroom proceedings at a Superior Court? I hadn’t, that is until today, and what a worthwhile experience. I now certainly have a much better understanding of the role of the Superior Court in Pleasanton and the typical crimes.
As a graduate of Leadership Pleasanton, and as part of the Public Safety day, I was invited to attend today’s proceedings in the court room of Superior Court Judge Hugh Walker on Stoneridge Drive in Pleasanton.
The majority of crimes that occur in Pleasanton, Dubin, Livermore and Sunol first come before Judge Walker.
Our Leadership Pleasanton group was invited in to Judge Walkers courtroom 30 minutes before the court room was opened to the public. Judge Walker walked us through how he came to be in his current role, what the role entails along with an overview of the judicial process and what to expect during the proceedings. Judge Walker then returned to his chambers while others got the proceedings for the day underway which included the county Sheriff leading in approximately 12 people who had been charges with various crimes and were being held at the Santa Rita Country Jail, located in Dublin. Prisoners of Santa Rita Jail were wearing different color prison outfits based on their level of risk to themselves or others, including several in handcuffs.
We heard charges such as shoplifting, commercial burglary, drug related crimes, resisting arrest and more. The lowest bail set for the day was $15,000 with highest bail set at $450,000!!
At the end of the days proceedings, and after the incarcerated and public left the courtroom, Judge Walker introduced us to the District Attorney, the Senior Public Defender and Bailiff so that we could have any and all of our questions answered. I must say it was great to see how the process worked with the additional explanations and I also enjoyed Judge Walkers sense of humor – nice guy.
Thanks Judge Walker and Leadership Pleasanton for a very informative and rewarding afternoon.
If you would like to learn more about participating in the next Leadership Pleasanton program, you can find more information on the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce web site.
