Actualización de la peticiónWE DEMAND A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION INTO CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

SUPPORT GROWS AS JUDICIARY CONTINUES THE SMEAR CAMPAIGN AGAINST JUDGE WITCHER

BBSA ASSOCIATIONNJ, Estados Unidos
17 ene 2023

Since the judges’ initial callout there’s been plenty to keep my head hot: 1. Judge Witcher has said he’s been threatened with removal from the bench, 2. He’s doubled down, saying on Jan. 4 the court was still discriminating against Latinos, 3. A court official basically backed Witcher up when she said those with Latino-sounding surnames appeared to be treated differently when it came to scheduling their cases, and ...sigh...4. Witcher’s virtual court session was abruptly canceled Wednesday when the state pointed its finger back at him saying it was his job to make sure hearings are scheduled fairly and that he hadn’t reviewed the cases for that day.

 

And now, I present to you the New Jersey Judiciary — possibly with blinders on and in full denial mode. State Judiciary officials said this week they investigated Witcher’s claims — but so far only for one court date in December — and had “so far found no evidence” of disparate treatment of Latino defendants. But they said they’d still look at cases dating back to February.

There’s been no shortage of “he said, she said,” finger-pointing and throwing blame around like it’s a hot potato, when what they really need to do is stop, reflect, and talk to the people who weren’t given their fair day in virtual court — like I did. People like Bridgeton resident Natanael Martinez-Aparicio, and others like him — humble, hardworking Latinos, who are the ones really suffering in all of this. 

 

They’re the ones we should focus on. But right now, that’s not happening and that’s what angers me most. Martinez-Aparicio, a plant nursery worker who’s Mexican, told me not being given the option of appearing in court virtually for a July traffic infraction — “driving past a yellow light turning red” — cost him $800.

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