Policing the Police: A Conversation with Judge LaDoris Cordell

Here’s the latest online version of Other Voices TV, a deeply moving conversation with Judge LaDoris Cordell.

Judge Cordell has been in residence in my personal pantheon for a long time. She is a brilliant and fierce advocate for justice, in the broadest possible sense of that word. And she is tireless.

She has spoken at so many rallies that I’ve organized that I’ve lost count. And she always — always — gets the loudest cheers for her speeches. Deservedly so.

Here’s a speech she gave — “Necessary Trouble” — at Unity Rally: Stand Against Hate, Racism and Misogyny, in December 2016, on the eve of the Electoral College vote.

She has also been on Other Voices TV multiple times:

Courting Disaster: The Supreme Court (Sept. 2018)
Jeff Sessions’ Dept. of INjustice (Oct. 2017) Remember Jeff Sessions?
Broken Justice: Rethinking Our Cops and Courts (July 2015) Sound familiar?

As long as I’m strewing your path with links, early on in this conversation a brief reference is made to Prof. Clay Carson of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute at Stanford. His appearance on Other Voices Online a couple of weeks ago, which prompted the reference, can be found here. (h/t to SR for suggesting this link)

Judge Cordell has a very long CV, so I’ll let her tell you herself. I lifted this from her website. Watch the video.

Coming Thursday: Reform? Defund? Abolish?

Hon. LaDoris Cordell
Superior Court Judge (Ret.) / Former Independent Police Auditor, San Jose

Host
Paul George
Peninsula Peace and Justice Center Director Emeritus

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 4:00 – 5:00PM
Live Online!

Join us on Zoom
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83233112240

Or join us on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/penin.pjc

RSVP appreciated but not required

The sheer power of the historic Black Lives Matter protests of the past month have forced a belated acknowledgement: policing in America must be changed. Now.

Our guest is particularly well-suited to help us understand what needs to be done, why it needs to be done, and the challenges we will face in getting it done. In addition to her years as a Superior Court Judge, LaDoris Cordell also served as the independent police auditor for the city of San Jose. The auditor served as an independent reviewer of citizen complaints against police and recommended policy changes for the department.

Judge Cordell has also served as Vice Provost of Stanford University and was a Palo Alto City Council member. https://judgecordell.com/

Paul George was the director of Peninsula Peace and Justice Center for 30 years before retiring in 2019. He has continued to host PPJC’s monthly television (now online) program, Other Voices, which he created in 1997. Paul blogs at https://dissentment.com/

Photo credit: Robert Kuykendall https://flic.kr/p/5Jg2kt (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

There really is a Riot Act. Bill Barr is anxious to read it to you. Then he’ll search your computer.

If you happened to post any kind of statement in support of the George Floyd protests, guess what? You are in violation of the Anti-Riot Act of 1968, a federal statute. You may not be charged but you could be investigated. Please immediately send your phone and computer to the Attorney General so he can have a look at what other nefarious activities you’ve been up to.

Continue reading “There really is a Riot Act. Bill Barr is anxious to read it to you. Then he’ll search your computer.”