On Judicial Temperament: Judge Handcuffs Attorney

Judge David Langham, the Deputy Chief Judge of the Florida WC Court, relates a cautionary tale on his blog.

Early in my service as a judge, I once lamented to another judge about how vociferous some attorneys can be. After venting a little while about how redundant and repetitive a particular argument had been (we are all redundant sometimes), the other judge asked “why do you let them drone on and on?” She then advised “you have to just cut them off, they will talk all day if you let them.”

That did not sit well with me. I have had a judge or two interrupt me or cut me off over my years of practice. I never appreciated it. Whether they saw merit or value in what I was saying, I always did. Some people find my analogies and explanations long-winded. I get that; and in the spirit of that criticism, let’s get to the point. There is a judge in Nevada that showed his patience (or lack thereof) recently.

You may read more here.