The Physiognomy of the Hard-ass Judge
Several months ago I was attending oral arguments at the Appellate Division in San Mateo County's Superior Court. The panel was peopled with three fellows who looked sort of like this.
At one point in the docket they caught a fresh-faced prosecutor with a brit-pop haircut implying certain things about the trial record which were not, strictly speaking, actually there. The rage was so palpable, I feared they would have him clapped in irons.
As a reference for assorted lawyers and anyone who must deal with the legal system, someone should catalogue the features characteristic of the hard-ass judge so that those putting in an appearance can tell at a glance how much they can get away with. I have no knowledge of the above jurist's attitudes, but we should note first the beard. This is the sign of a man familiar with authority and directing others to apply physical force if necessary. Note also the prominent forehead which suggests you should assume him to be at least two-thirds as smart as you. We'll return to this issue periodically.
3 comments:
Hi there,
I just found this place through a series of websites that I can't quite recall but I'm glad that I've arrived. You've got that snarky sense of humor that I so love. I look forward to your future observations.
A true hard-ass judge has his or her own superhero comic book series, here is an example: http://www.thecomicshop.com.au/covers/comics/0/2000adpresents-06-fleetway-nm.jpg
Nice, but don't the firearms make it a bit obvious? If I saw Judge Dredd behind the bench, I'd quit the whole law thing; I recall the entire legal code of MegaCity as appearing to be less than an inch thick.
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