Most of us believe judges are comfortable making decisions.
\nThat’s their job, right? While the answer is Yes, it ain’t
\nnecessarily so.<\/p>\n
Judge Reggie Walton is a case in point. He is the judge in the
\nRoger Clemens case. As reported in The Washington Post
\n(http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/sports\/judge-orders-clemens-
\nretrial\/2011\/09\/02\/gIQANZjcxJ_story.html ), Walton first
\napologizes for making a decision. He had no choice, says he.
\nNext, he reveals his decision without revealing it. That’s what I
\nmean by reading the judge’s mind.<\/p>\n
Here’s what he did. He castigated the prosecution–then decided
\nfor them.<\/p>\n
This is not at all unusual. Judge’s don’t want to anger anyone.
\nThey either praise the eventual loser, or they criticize the
\neventual winner. They make the loser feel better. They cannot
\nstand to make anyone feel bad.<\/p>\n
This is an example of guilty anxiety. The judge experienced
\ndiscomfort, anxiety, knowing he’ll anger or disappoint the loser–hurt his feelings. He’ll make the loser feel bad, which makes him feel bad. So, he
\nthrows the loser something to make him feel good.<\/p>\n
This happens over and over in situations where people must hurt
\nsomeone. It is human, though we expect our judges to be extra
\nhuman. They, like our leaders, are seen unconsciously as we saw
\nour parents when we were two or three years old, all powerful,
\nright, comfortable with what they do. It is more realistic to see
\nthem as fallible humans, just trying to cope. After all, that’s
\nwhat they are, underneath their robes.<\/p>\n
So, if you want to know the winner and loser in a case moments
\nbefore the judge’s announcement, read his or her mind. If one
\nparty was criticized, bet on that party as the winner. On the
\nother hand, if one party is praised, but on that party to be the
\nloser.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Most of us believe judges are comfortable making decisions. That’s their job, right? While the answer is Yes, it ain’t necessarily so. Judge Reggie Walton is a case in point. He is the judge in the Roger Clemens case. As … Continue reading