LETTER: Judging the judge

Ron Gay Henderson July 31, 2026 - 9:01 pm I concur with Linda Cassaro’s Friday letter to the editor that District Judge Jennifer Schwartz made a serious mistake by sentencing Jesus Barraza to probation instead of incarceration. Barraza’s reckless driving resulted in a fatality, which the judge described as a terrible decision by a young man. Opting for probation rather than jail time constitutes a grave error. Our area experiences 1 of the highest pedestrian decease rates in the country, and sentences like this only add to the problem by implying there are no consequences for killing innocent people on our streets. Such rulings do not make our community safer, and I will recall this flawed judgment when Judge Schwartz faces re‑election.