I have been a judge and judge pro-tem in many courts in our area, including Auburn Municipal Court, for almost two decades. I am very familiar with the criminal population held by Auburn in jail.

The vast majority of those criminals have extensive criminal records and are a danger to the public. I would challenge anyone who thinks otherwise to identify who they think is in jail who does not belong there.

I am also familiar with the “swift and sure” sentencing concept. It may sound like a good idea, but I believe it is expensive to implement. To the best of my knowledge, there isn’t a court in the state that has adopted that program.

The impression that has been given is that the Auburn Municipal Court throws too many people in jail and then holds them there too long. This is simply not true. The Auburn Municipal Court has some of the most humane sentencing practices of any court I have served.

– Robert W. Hamilton