LaDoris Hazzard Cordell

I am not a big fan of nonfiction and would read some once in a while. And, this time, I actually fell in love with HER HONOR by Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell, as well as her personality!
My interest was piqued immensely by the introduction at the beginning, in which a call from a stranger in 1980 had steered a decisive turn of Judge Cordell’s course of her destiny.
Reading those cases that Judge Cordell presided during her service in court takes me on an emotional ride – heartbreaking, upsetting, annoyed, cheerful and humored – , and I enjoyed them profoundly!
HER HONOR is an educational, insightful and informative memoir that is beautifully written by the talented and intelligent Judge Cordell. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good read.
I would like to thank Celadon Books for this thought-provoking and amazing ARC of HER HONOR that has expanded my horizons!
#HerHonor
#CeladonBooks… (meer)

Many readers have written accolades about Judge Cordell's Her Honor. I wish I had been the very first so that I could have introduced this fantastic book to others. But perhaps there are some who have not heard of or read this extremely compelling account of LaDoris Hazzard Cordell's service to California, rising from a municipal court judge to being the first African American woman to sit on the Superior Court of Northern California.

Cordell also does a service to her readers, giving them access to the day-to-day experiences of a judge who must make life-changing decisions, sometimes constrained by the law from meting out a more compassionate, but also rationally better, decision. Cordell opens up her experiences in presiding over divorce, probate, marriage, name-change and juvenile crime cases. She provides actual cases and actual testimony and written judgements.

Early in the book, the case of 15-year-old Jessica T., who was decided by Judge Cordell to be guilty of felony murder, is detailed. Jessica did not participate in the stabbing that resulted in the death of a young adult, but she had lured another person away as part of the plan of four others to steal a car. Although Jessica was away when the unanticipated murder occurred, application of the felony murder law (later eliminated in a handful of states, including California) was required. This was Judge Cordell's determination, solely. Juveniles are not allowed a jury trial in felony cases. A “murderer” label will stay with Jessica all her life.

Many juvenile court cases, some extremely heart-wrenching, like the case of a 15-year-old who, without planning it, killed his brother during a fist fight, illuminate the extreme difficulty in finding the just path within the convoluted and often out-of-date court system. Along the way, readers learn about the history of the legal system, including trial by jury, probation, and plea bargaining. And Cordell presents chapters about divorce, child custody, contested wills and name-change cases with the negotiating conversations she had with litigants and lawyers in her chambers. Fortunately, some contain humor and others “happy endings.”

Did she face prejudice as Black woman judge? I want to answer, “Of course she did, stupid question” but that response might be misunderstood. Answer: sadly, yes (actually, I want to answer “no,” and be living in an alternate reality). The book is written in direct, clear prose with occasional, objective accounts of bigoted assumptions and actions she experieced – once when driving up to a home in an upscale neighborhood to officiate at a wedding, the valet told her that caterers should pull around to the back of the house.

The most important chapter, I believe, is the last where Cordell lays out several recommedations for needed improvement in out justice system. For instance, only law school graduates can be chosen as court judges, but no law school curriculum includes a course or clinic in being a judge. Wouldn't it be better for all future lawyers to have the experiece of being on the “other” side of the bench?

Juveniles in felony trials do not appear before a jury, the one sustaining or denying the petition is the juvenile court judge. A sixteen-year-old and an eighteen-year-old, having participated in the same alleged event, therefore, will be treated differently inside the courtroom. That is the case in 32 states, while the other 18 allow for jury trials. Cordell makes a persuasive case that because convictions can lead to long periods of incarceration, a juvenile should have the right to have the evidence produced before and decided on by a jury – in all 50 states.

I am so glad that I read this book, and even more glad that Cordell, having experienced racial injustice herself and having been a part of a system that has more unjust flaws than it should, can still be optimistic about the law. She says she will not give up on our legal system; she shows us how to reform and therefore become more positive about it all. So if she won't give up, then neither will I.

I received an advance copy of this book courtesy of Celadon Books. This is an honest review.… (meer)

Her Honor is an interesting, educational, informative and sometimes eye-opening read. Judge Cordell’s memoir is a perfect balance of anecdotes that will make you laugh and make you cry. It’s full of humor and detail and provides a peek into the legal system from a point of view most of us don’t get to see.

LaDoris Hazzard Cordell is intelligent, believes in justice for all and is dedicated to seeing that happen, even if it means she needs to think outside the box or push the boundaries of the well-entrenched system, and she relates her stories and states her views in a down-to-earth manner that makes this book easy to read and enjoyable. The fact that Judge Cordell presided right in my Bay Area backyard brought the issues she raises even closer to home.

Thanks to Celadon Books for providing an advance copy of Her Honor for my reading pleasure and honest review. What I’ve read in the book has sparked many spirited, interesting conversations in our house and it will remain a valued addition to my library. All opinions are my own.
#HerHonorBook #CeladonReads #partner @CeladonBooks… (meer)