Kudos to the judge at District Court who recently:
- Okayed a respondent’s request to go put money in his parking meter, saying, “Sure. I don’t want you to get a ticket. That’s $40.”
- In a separate case, expressed concern at the beginning of a hearing that the respondent had been speaking with the petitioner prior to the case being called. When the petitioner said she wanted to drop the case the judge asked her if the respondent had been trying to get her to drop her order and she responded that he had. The judge reviewed the petition and noted that “the physical stuff is frightening” and that “exposing photographs to the public is manipulation.” The petitioner decided to proceed with her order.
- In a third case, after issuing a temporary protective order, the judge told another petitioner to “keep a copy of the order with you at all times.”
In all these incidents, the judge actively participated in an unbiased manner to ensure all participants were treated fairly, were respected and listened to. Kudos to the judge for finding ways to actively ensure that parties understood their options without giving legal advice.