Suspect and in Custody

Jan Katsma was granted permission to film in the courts in The Hague for a documentary on the work of examining magistrates. These are the first judges before whom a suspect appears following his or her arrest. On the basis of this hearing, the examining magistrate determines whether pre-trial detention will be extended or bail granted. Katsma closely observed the work of two examining magistrates over a one-year period, filming a colorful -- and often disconsolate -- parade of petty criminals: a junkie who has been a nuisance to his neighbor while in a state of drug-induced psychosis; an alcoholic who threatened a shopper in a supermarket; a son who has given his mother a black eye; a burglar who brazenly denies everything. Both judges have the skill needed to respond with clear, understanding language to the sometimes bizarrely distorted viewpoints of the suspects. At times, they also use their powers to rebuke the police, as in the case of an illegal alien arrested after being asked for ID while on his way to the Salvation Army hostel. According to the magistrate, visiting the Salvation Army hostel is not against the law, so there were no grounds to arrest the man. The judge grumbles about the arbitrary way the police go about asking for ID. "For me, this really is a matter of principle, as it affects […] the most vulnerable members of society."