Public Inquiry - OJ Wood

[Oj Wood]

• Full Name: OJ Wood
  Phone Number: n/a

• Detailed information of your inquiry:
  • Could you kindly provide some insights regarding the concept of conducting criminal trials through a docket system? In the past, the court proceedings we witnessed were captivating, demonstrating to the citizens of this wonderful city that justice prevails. However, I am currently disheartened by the apparent absence of enthusiasm to utilise the courtroom as a platform for people to voice their innocence.
    
    Is there a plan for the Judicial Branch to reopen the courtroom? Could you kindly offer an explanation as to why the citizens of Los Santos are being denied the opportunity to have their day in court?

[Colt Daniels]

San Andreas Judicial Branch
Public Inquiry - OJ Wood
"EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW"

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• Mr. Wood,
  
  To begin, I thank you for posting this public inquiry. As we said in the Press Release #19 "We believe this new system will assist us in reducing our backlog and hopefully within the next couple of months, eliminate it completely." That is the main reason we implemented the docket trial system.
  
  For over a year now the judicial branch has struggled to reduce our backlog and conclude cases as fast as they were coming in. Before we made the decision to move to this system. we implemented numerous things to help reduce it, mainly the abolishment of hearings, both discovery and motion hearings. This change helped as we would only need to schedule a trial as opposed to multiple hearings and a trial. However this didn't help enough to get the backlog down.
  
  We also do not plan to keep this system in play as it is right now. Once we hopefully clear out the backlog in its entirety, we plan to put in place restrictions that allow most cases to go to an in person trial however as it currently stands we plan to make most trials take place on the docket until we get our backlog under control. Once again as we stated in our release, "While we understand that this new system will take away some of the public's opportunity to see firsthand the work of our court system through the use of public trials, we believe this system will be crucial to the success of our judiciary"
  
  Finally, you stated, "Could you kindly offer an explanation as to why the citizens of Los Santos are being denied the opportunity to have their day in court?" They are not being denied their constitutional right in any way as the constitution states, "In all criminal trials brought forth by or too the San Andreas Judicial Branch, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial" The docket trials are and always will be public, the public has the opportunity to view them as they happen in real time. The main focus of this new system is to made sure we adhere to the 6th amendment as they have the right to a speedy trial as well.
  
  We understand that the docket trial system is not a popular one, and it was not an easy one to make, as it takes away the opportunity for citizens to gather and watch justice prevail. However this is only temporary and we fully intent to open the courtroom doors once again once we are in the right position to do so.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  Associate Justice
  San Andreas Judicial Branch
  (909) 402-9713 — [email protected]

[Oj Wood]

• Full Name: OJ Wood
  Phone Number: n/a

• Detailed information of your inquiry:
  • Thank you for your well-articulated response. I found it informative; however, there could have been a more engaging solution to involve a greater number of individuals and encourage more people to practice law within the state. Currently, there are four judges in the Judicial Branch: Juditch Mason, Colt Daniels, Hugh All Good, and Robert Winejudge. Please correct me if I am mistaken, but it's my understanding that each judge can handle up to four active cases simultaneously. Currently, there are approximately seven active cases, which is less than half of the maximum capacity for active cases at once. If reducing the number of active cases was a significant priority, wouldn't it make sense to have more judges handling a larger caseload?
    
    I've noticed a reduction in staff from over 25 members to around 18. However, this is not the problem. It seems challenging to locate lawyers at city hall, as they are often working remotely on trials rather than engaging in face-to-face meetings.
    
    There have been instances of charges being dropped and offers for deals being extended in various cases. The question arises: have the Sheriffs and Police departments been consulted in these decisions? The concern here is that such actions might be perceived as a disregard for the efforts that officers put into gathering evidence for these charges. It seems quite disheartening for them to invest substantial effort into building a case, only to see it resolved through a plea deal.
    
    We've all come across the rumors regarding the Civil Court, which has prompted the question: Does the Judicial Branch still prioritize the criminal justice system, or has its sole focus shifted towards other matters?
    

    The docket trials are and always will be public, the public has the opportunity to view them as they happen in real-time.

    We've been in the city for quite a while, and it's clear that those who show interest in newsletters, press releases, and trials are the ones who read them out of curiosity. I have my bar license and this whole aspect of trials has put me off ever practicing law and I am sure there will be others.
    
    Questions
    1. Do we have a rough time frame on when the trials will return to court?
    2. Do you believe you have a positive relationship with current law enforcement after the recent charges on a LEO. As Well as plea deals being offered to certain individuals?
    3. Are judges going to take on more active cases?
    4. Do you believe your Bar of Ethics review is suitable and is it monitored correctly? I can recall numerous instances where these rules have been violated, even during one of your public trials and this doesn't even encompass the situation involving a particular former AG.
    5. Currently do you think your system works? If so does it require more improvement ? Do you think it's perfect enough for you to focus on civil court?
    ((On a OOC level, isn't this decision affecting the roleplay of being a lawyer? You are basically taking away people's opportunity to have charismatic debates and show their own knowledge of the law to the citizens of Los Santos. People love to see the gossip behind the trial and it opening up new opportunities for other departments like DOC,GOV,PD,SD to roleplay. I feel sorry for those who are roleplaying lawyers because it seems like they are just website types.My final question is, has this decision of closing trials and limiting the roleplay of a faction been approved by higher-ups? (LFM or head admins) ))