Paris court holds dozens of trials after October 17 riots

Dozens of immediate appearance trials are being held Tuesday at the Paris judicial court following Saturday's riots, with proceedings marked by tension and organizational chaos. The court is operating in crisis mode with four courtrooms to handle around 60 cases in a single afternoon. Paris accounted for 35% of France's 2,400 arrests on October 17, and the court congestion has created confusion as magistrates and lawyers juggle cases. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has demanded firmness, prompting defense lawyers to denounce political interference. Early decisions show severity, including jail terms for a knife-carrying youth and a Tunisian man who threw projectiles at police, though some defendants received judicial supervision instead of detention. The trials involve only adults, as minors—who form most suspects and largely live in suburbs—are excluded from this procedure. Defense lawyers have criticized what they call expedited justice, citing flawed procedures and harsh sentencing requests they say are driven by public and political pressure rather than the facts of individual cases.