Theresa R. Cayton

I am deeply disappointed with my experience during my case. I appeared before this judge to plead indigence, which I clearly explained and substantiated. Rather than being met with consideration or even basic empathy, she injected her personal opinion, attempting to dress down a vulnerable and hopefu...l appellant, and projected her experiences from decades ago onto my current circumstances and economic climate. Ultimately, dismissing my concerns and pleas without meaningful or intentional engagement. The appeals process felt procedural rather than just. There was little indication that my financial reality was weighed seriously, despite the appeal system existing precisely for cases like mine. The interaction conveyed indifference to circumstances and reinforced the sense that outcomes are predetermined rather than thoughtfully assessed. Especially given the fact that the city she presides over generates substantial income from civil matters like parking tickets, therefore making 0 efforts to be accomodating to its residents, transient and permanent. For individuals living paycheck to paycheck, students, or those supporting family members, these fines are not minor inconveniences, they are destabilizing. A judge overseeing appeals should understand the real-world consequences of their decisions, and should work with the city to make civil matters such as parking less stringent and provide actual spaces for residents. In this case, that understanding was absent. This experience undermined my confidence in the fairness of the process and left me feeling unheard. I hope future appellants are treated with greater care, attentiveness, and respect for the very real burdens they bring into that courtroom.