Seeing the same Judge

The Herald reports:

A woman with an extensive history of stealing went on a five-month crime spree, spanning three regions and ripping off leading retailers. 

Debra Christine Jupp’s actions have been lambasted by Judge Noel Cocurullo, who labelled her behaviour “pathetic”, but she has narrowly avoided prison after pleading for a “final chance”.

“All that you’re doing here is ripping off retailers who have to add money to their bottom line for everybody else just because of your selfish, dishonest, thieving behaviour,” the judge said in the Hamilton District Court yesterday. …

“She is 47, she has 90 previous convictions, 55 of which are for dishonesty.”

I suspect she has already had a few final chances.

After taking a start point of 15 months’ jail, the judge agreed to convert that to six months’ home detention and ordered her to pay $3348 reparation.

He would also judicially monitor her sentence.

“You walk into one retail shop and get pinged with another dishonesty, I’m your judge. Police will note that.

“Don’t you dare come back asking for a merciful approach.”

This is the part that interests me. He has basically said he will be her Judge if she offends again. I wasn’t aware a Judge could do that.

I actually think that is a good idea. If an offender gets a different judge each time, they are more likely to give them the benefit of the doubt. But if it is the same Judge that heard the same story last time, they hopefully won’t be.