San Joaquin County Municipal Court Judge Rolleen McIlwrath wasn't interested in electronic monitoring technology when it first started showing up at judicial conferences six or seven years ago. It has become very frustrating to me as a judge to sentence someone to one year in jail and instead have that person back on the street within 30 days. It's like losing total control over your sentencing power. Judges tailor sentences to meet the crime. That ability has been taken away from us.
Electronic monitoring gives judges another means of sentencing.
Shortly after attending a workshop earlier this year by Sentencing Alternatives , an electronic monitoring vendor, on the latest technology, Mcllwrath heard a stalker case in her court. The defendant was stalking his former girlfriend, showing up at her workplace and a doctor's appointment. A second offense is a felony, but that could also be a homicide. It's a worrisome situation for a judge because most of our homicides occur in domestic situations. This case was a very difficult ongoing situation.