Let's face it; the world has changed, people have changed, the practice of law has changed and "Judicial Demeanor " is no longer the same. Right or wrong, State Court Judges and even more so, Federal Court Judges have become outwardly tougher, increasingly impersonal , less approachable and in my opinion(20 years of trying cases and almost 6 years funding them) the "Bench " oozes with insensitivity. Is this because the caseloads have reached such stagnating levels ,or because attorneys and litigants are more recalcitrant, or due to more pressure from administrators to"move cases" or a combination of all of the above.
Whatever the reasons, "tough" seems to be in. So when I read Wednesday's New York Law Journal, I was tickled pink when Judge Kimba Wood , a well-respected Federal Court Judge in Manhattan granted an orthodox Jewish defense attorney's application to have a day off from trial if his daughter's first baby is a boy[for the Bris] and Judge Wood also wrote" if a daughter is born there will be a public celebration in Court, with readings from poetry celebrating girls and women"(see "aishes chayil").
Wow! How cool is that ! After getting sanctioned numerous times by judges over the years for anything from speaking objections, chewing gum to taking off your suit jacket when it is 98 degrees and there is no air-conditioning in the Courtroom, this goes a long way towards restoring my belief in civility, caring and compassion in the Coutroom.
Judge Wood, you made my day!
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