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Stan's* Sentencing
Orange County Jail Interview
*Names have been changed to protect privacy.
Jail Media: What was court like for you?
Stan Smith: In Orange County you’re basically in a cage. If you’re in custody at the time you go to court they dress you in a ridiculous outfit so you basically stick out as a criminal. In other counties you sit in the jury box when you’re waiting for your turn with the judge – in Orange County you’re behind bars when you’re seeing the judge. That doesn’t look too good.
Jail Media: Really? So the judge is looking at you through bars?
Stan Smith: Yeah.
Jail Media: So you already look like a criminal to the judge…
Stan Smith: Exactly.
Jail Media: How many court appearances did you have?
Stan Smith: I went three times. The first time they wanted to give me six months for a DUI – I said no. My public defender told me right off the bat that they would come down lower next time. So he said I should come back in a week and they would hit us with a lower offer.
Jail Media: And did they?
Stan Smith: Yeah, they came back and offered me five months. I decided to turn that down again. Then I went back again and they gave me four months. I served about 80 days of the 120 day sentence. So they are constantly lowering the plea bargain – they don’t want it to go to trial.
Jail Media: I see – that’s good for people to know. So you’re better off waiting it out?
Stan Smith: Yeah – the thing is nobody really takes the first offers in Orange County because either way they’re going to do two-thirds of their time. They might as well wait until they get a better deal. They usually end up being there so long that the judge just decides to give them time served.
Jail Media: So you do usually get credit for all that time served before reaching a plea deal, correct?
Stan Smith: Yeah, you do.
Jail Media: And is all that time subject to time off for good behavior as well?
Stan Smith: Yes.
Jail Media: So if you were to serve for two months before they sentence you (not that many people would serve that long before receiving a sentence) and the final sentence was for three months, you would actually get out as soon as the judge made your sentence on the credit for time served?
Stan Smith: Yeah, that’s right. More than likely, yes. And that saves people from having to work while they’re in jail. The county is always trying to get free work out of you. The thing is, for everybody it’s different. It was different for me because I had my family and girlfriend on the outside. For me it was easier to know how much time I was doing so I took a deal after three weeks – I could have kept it going and going but I really wanted to know how much time I was doing so I could start doing my time.
Jail Media: So you could tell everybody? That makes sense. So let’s talk about some just general sentencing things – I mean, after you were sentenced did they put you in a holding cell? If so, how long were you there?
Stan Smith: Yeah, well, the whole court process is a whole day at a time. Just because you saw the judge doesn’t mean you’re done – you have to wait for everybody else to see the judge.
Jail Media: How long does it take to be processed at the jail?
Stan Smith: It depends on the night, but normally, about fifteen hours until you finally get a place to sleep.
Jail Media: And do all inmates go to the same central location.
Stan Smith: No, Orange County has three different places they can put you at. They can put you in the main jail, they have Theo Lacy and they can put you at the Farm, which is in Irvine.
Jail Media: Can you explain the differences between the three?
Stan Smith: I was at Theo Lacy because I had violence on my record – so that’s more for higher risk criminals – it’s higher security.
Jail Media: And that’s actually in Orange County?
Stan Smith: Yeah, that’s in the city of Orange.
Jail Media: And the Farm you said is in Irvine?
Stan Smith: The Farm is in Irvine, yes?
Jail Media: And what is the Farm? Is that minimum security?
Stan Smith: No, it’s not minimum security – I think, though, that’s mostly for people who don’t have any violence on their record. And those are basically working barracks, like a camp. I haven’t actually been there but from what I understand it is literally a farm.
Jail Media: So they work with animals and stuff?
Stan Smith: Yeah, they work with animals and vegetables and all that stuff.
Jail Media: That probably helps pass the time a little bit, huh?
Stan Smith: Yes, definitely.
Jail Media: Are you shackled before the judge?
Stan Smith: Your cuffed up, but just your arms – no shackles.
Jail Media: And you’re in your jumpsuit? What color is that?
Stan Smith: It’s a ridiculous yellow/orange color. That’s the only good thing about being a worker – it’s less humiliating. They want to humiliate you so that you’ll want to be a worker so they dress you up in a raggedy old outfit.
Jail Media: What are the working opportunities other than the kitchen? Landscaping?
Stan Smith: Yeah, you can do landscaping and laundry, but you don’t get to choose. Just whatever is open they assign. You can’t apply or anything.
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