Wednesday, October 22, 2003

Honoring the Judiciary - Regardless

You’d think judicial probity went a little further than this.  I’ve read some stupid opinions (judicial opinions, I mean), and even a few that were written in clunky doggerel verse.  But this takes the cake and sits down on it while blowing a raspberry at anything that ever wanted to be aesthetically elevating.  This link came to me through one of my legal news services.  I am only relieved that this piece of adjudicative abasement doesn’t actually come from California.  I guess we’ve got enough people laughing at us already.

It all comes into sharp relief for me because I am preparing today for a big conference call tomorrow with my subcommittee and have been setting up details with “my” members - the director of Child Support Services for LA, a Santa Cruz County Councilwoman, and an appellate judge in Riverside.  Every time I speak with the judge, who’s a nice, responsive, effusive fellow, I automatically stand, even when I’m just here in my cubicle all by myself on the telephone with him.  My respect for the office is just ingrained in my psyche.  But, despite my attempt at being respectful, I accidentally used the word “judicious” in conversation with him.  He laughed, but really, he was just being polite.  I don’t even think he’s jewish.