San Diego federal court begins fast-tracking border-crossing cases. Critics call it 'assembly line justice'

A separate fast-track court designed to quickly process the steady stream of misdemeanor border-crossing cases under the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy rolled out Monday in San Diego in a hearing that was punctuated by moments of confusion, tension and passionate objection.

A total of 41 unauthorized immigrants who were arrested over the weekend were seen during the initial hearing. But this was no ordinary arraignment.

More than half of the defendants — all of whom were dressed in the same clothes they were arrested in over the weekend — took the government’s offer to plead guilty and be sentenced immediately. Most received sentences of time served and will be quickly remanded to immigration custody to be deported.

Others, many with asylum claims, asked to be released on bond and to take more time to think about the government’s plea offer. They were ordered to come back to court Friday.

The fast-track program is one way San Diego’s federal court has decided to adjudicate the influx of border-crossing cases under the government’s “zero tolerance” policy, which went into effect in May. The policy to criminally prosecute all illegal border entry cases operates under the notion that a criminal conviction serves as a stronger deterrent than just a civil deportation order.

But the sudden increase in criminal defendants has stretched the justice system thin.

In some instances, arraignment hearing calendars have been so stacked that court has gone into the evenings, including until 10 p.m. one recent Monday.

A committee of judges, prosecutors, law enforcement and defense attorneys has been meeting over the last several weeks to discuss solutions to the increased caseload, including how to implement a fast-track court.

Rest of Story:

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-fast-track-border-20180710-story.html