The ASA in my courtroom...

What's an ASA?

sorry. Asst. State Attorney

Awhile back somebody told one of my clients that I arrived at an appointment and was crying the entire time I was there. The client did not wish for me to be assigned for any further work from them. My supevisors have known me for a very long time and did not beieve this, but what else are they to do but comply with the request of the client? It is another person's word against yours and the customer is always right and all that. (Fortunately I have more work that I can handle from other clients who do not seem to have a problem with me.)

Those who know you will always know who is telling the truth in these matters, but there is no way to combat untruths that others tell about you to people who don't know you well. Such untruths are maddening, infuriating, frustrating, and can be very hurtful, and, unless you can hold the other person accountable, there is no self defense.

I therefore know full well what you are feeling onyxelle and believe you completely which of course is small comfort. At least you can take comfort in knowing who your accuser is so that you can direct justified anger at him. It's a lot harder when you don't know who is telling what to who.

Why would he say that? And how did it come up in conversation?

He said it i guess because he thinks i'm rude. I don't think that I am. I do what is required of me where he is concerned and no more.

It didn't come up in conversation, he COMPLAINED on me to my supervisors. They called me in and we 'discussed' it. Mind you, I DO have a very curt manner - not with him, with EVERYONE, and he's not special.

Maybe he doesn't like that i'm very friendly with the remainder of the courtroom staff - including his intern. I usually regard the entire courtroom with a hearty good morning - and usually everyone responds in kind. He does not. He goes out of his way to be extremely contrary to the 'majority' in the courtroom, and has a dismissive nature about everything and everyone.

I don't like him, I don't respect him. I'm not rude to him. I simply have a 'no involvement' policy with him and deal with him only when my work necessarily requires me to.

Yeah, strong women always get these complaints. I've been told I'm abrupt and intimidating Who, moi?!?!? Too bad, suck it up I tell that to my daughter and she goes ballistic.

We're supposed to be soft and gentle and kind, not non-nonsense and terse.

Too bad.

Hang in there. He probably feels threatened by you because you're not intimidated by him.

As Steve Martin's Grandmother taught him:

"Be courteous, kind and forgiving,
Be gentle and peaceful each day,
Be warm and human and grateful,
And have a good thing to say.

Be thoughtful and trustful and childlike,
Be witty and happy and wise,
Be honest and love all your neighbors,
Be obsequious, purple, and clairvoyant.

Be pompous, obese, and eat cactus,
Be dull, and boring, and omnipresent,
Criticize things you don't know about,
Be oblong and have your knees removed.

Be tasteless, rude, and offensive,
Live in a swamp and be three dimensional,
Put a live chicken in your underwear,
Get all excited and go to a yawning festival."

Go to a yawning festival...


I've always loved Steve Martin.


Hey, Onyx, hold yer cool (I know you will). Pompass asses come and go.