Year: 2017
Type: article
Abstract: It can't be easy being a judge.The responsibility is enormous: to protect and maintain the rule of law; determine facts and law; resolve disputes large and small; and, in criminal matters, decide whether a fellow citizen remains free or not.In essence, we look to judges to articulate the meaning of "justice"-no doubt knowing all the while, as Clarence Darrow famously noted, "There is no such thing as justice, in or out of court." 1 I like and respect some judges, but not as many as I should.While some judges have the requisite ability and temperament for the benchknowledge of the law, independence, fairness, patience, courage, compassion, and humility-too many do not.Too many are meanspirited and arrogant, going out of their way to insult, ridicule, and demean those who come before them.In short, they are bullies.2 Bullies on the bench may be an inevitable result of our politicized process of judicial selection, 3 especially on the state level, where most
Source: eYLS (Yale Law School)
Author: Abbe Smith
Language: English
Subfield: Law
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2786846931