Ever wonder what that person wearing a robe sitting a few feet above everyone else is doing during court or during a trial? They stare intently at a CRT screen, frown a bit, and are fully engrossed in their endeavors. Surely they are putting the finishing touches on a groundbreaking law review article on the Fourth Amendment and Inevitable Discovery ("How To Deny Every Motion To Dismiss With Confidence And Get That Appointment To The Appellate Court") ; or maybe they are examining the dissent to an Alaskan Supreme Court case on an obscure point of law a lawyer just raised- legal scholars they.
True Story; During a rather admittedly boring and long pre-trial detention motion, the magistrate called us up side bar and we got there quicker than they were expecting and glimpsed their computer screen. After the government earnestly argued their objection and we responded and were royally dismissed with a wave, we stopped, turned and said "Black ten on red jack" and then kept walking.
Well, we know what Oklahoma Judge (now former judge) Traci Soderstram was doing during a murder trial- texting her bailiff and making snarky and sexually suggestive comments about various participants in the trial. Here is one news report.
Traci is our first nominee for Judge of the year, 2024 edition. We are sure there will be others.
Lesson: during a boring trial or pre-trial detention hearing, play solitaire like the rest of the judges and don't text while on camera. DUH.
