August 2 articles about Sheriff Pozdolski’s arrest and Episode #9 of “The J-Cat Files” brought back fond memories and a touch of cynicism for me. The articles call attention to a system that flies under the radar if you’ll pardon the pun. I was oblivious to our corrections and judicial system until my own “slip” arrest.

For a charge of disturbing the peace I received five days in jail with another five to serve very soon, 30 days of community service, one year of anger management classes once a week, and a total payout of my pocketbook of about $2,800. I understand officer Pozdolski is at home likely enjoying that sum of money in a monthly paid leave salary. The District Attorney charging me in the case wanted me held over for trial one month away, but thankfully the judge released me on my own recconaisance. Has the D.A. charged the officer for his alleged domestic violence arrest?

The actual charge is called intent to inflict corporal injury on a spousal cohabitant, a term that inflects a criminal touch to it. The handling of the Pozdolskis case is a “slip” of another color, and I’m not so interested in justice served to the officer than the double standard that’s so blatantly obvious with the system.

The entire system resembles a circus offering deals, promises, and punishments, come one, come all, to witness the specials. Roman Navarro detailed day to day life in the SLO County Jail. I “did time” with Roman and I’ll spend some reunion time with him soon.

County jail is the big top circus incarcerating drunks, punks, fools, and overly tattooed little boys with bad mannered records. I even saw a bearded lady literally while being booked into the sideshow. Past Roman’s angle of the dorm, there is a considerate, semi-respectable population doing their best in a 40’ x 60’ living room packed with 60 men flagellating. Here we have clicks and loners, but we “become” buddies when swapping corn for cake or an orange for an apple at chow time. Even the worst badass “becomes” putty asking for a shot of coffee, which is a gold standard next
to cake in the dorm. If you have some you da man!

Hats off to the ringmasters. Guards treat us with fairness but crack down on idiots and thugs lacking social graces. This job would drive me to insanity as the circus must affect them. At least they go home to recoup after a long 12-hour shift.

To sum this all up J-Cats will be just that, J-Cats. Pozdolski will “slip” quietly back to duty, and I have a bigtop reunion to attend. We need our judicial and corrections system yet without the politics and power-brokering which will ever be human nature. Is there a change for that?

In any event I’m stocking up on coffee and dinner cake in advance. I’m going to the circus and I plan this time to enjoy it.