Choosing hope over despair
For the dream of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to have continued relevance, it is hope on which we must focus.
For the dream of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to have continued relevance, it is hope on which we must focus.
Clerks are critically important to the skilled handling of the legal and administrative matters that come before a judge.
What several examples vividly illustrate is that the line that separates our branches of government is dynamic; it isn’t set in stone.
We have a system of fines and fees that would surprise some and mortify others. To understand, we have only to look at what happens in our courts on a daily basis.
Some judges are better than others at exercising restraint. But the system is served best when we handle the challenges before us with quiet equanimity.
Judges go to conferences to share information with other judges, to keep current with changes in the law, and to better understand events that occur before us in court.
When may a judge participate in a hearing, and when does it violate a judge’s obligation to remain neutral? This is a difficult issue propelled by the conflict that can arise between adherence to rules and the desire to do justice.
In the final analysis, there’s no simple way to assess a judge’s performance, but it’s important to try to do so. Any effort is likely to be incomplete, but that isn’t a reason not to do the best we can.
Seldom is there anyone in the courtroom except those who are directly affected by the case under consideration. There’s usually no one to see the good when it happens.
Our disagreements don’t affect the obedience we give to appellate and Supreme Court decisions — that’s how our system of justice works.
There are few things more pleasing to a judge than to see the work of really skilled lawyers. When they excel, it’s a pleasure to behold.
Imagine how terrifying our system of justice would be if judges made decisions without explanation. We wouldn’t stand for such a system because we want to know that decisions are fairly reached.
A part of the wonder at being a trial court judge is that decision-making is endless, and every decision is important.
By Judge Mel Dickstein
Sept. 9, 2014