@BillRM,
BillRM wrote:David one of my proudest moments is as a college student,
happen while being question for a jury in a marijuana case by a Federal judge.
I told him that I could not serve on the jury because I did not believe in the Marijuana
laws nor would I convict anyone under those laws.
Off hand I consider it a fairly brave act to do in a court room as a twenty-one or two years old student.
Footnote this was an intellectual decision alone as it was years later
before I gave the drug a try. Found it not to do anything for me other
then mess up my time sense and put me to sleep.
Yes, u were very honest, Bill.
Another alternative from which u coud have chosen
was to serve and vote your conscience; "jury nullification".
U remind me of my own
youthful hi jinx with federal judges.
As a new lawyer, I applied for admission to the Bar
of the US District Court for the Southern Dist. of NY.
The instructions to applicants were
very emphatic (big,
BOLD capital letters)
that we needed to have
SPONSORs (prior members of that Bar)
to move the Court for an order of our admission to that Bar.
I got one, but on the day of swearing in, my sponsor was beginning
his first day in a new job, and he attended to his business,
not to
my requests.
When I arrived in Court, I saw the calendar posted outside
the federal judge's courtroom. There were c.30 names on it
for admission to that Bar, that day.
About a quarter of the way thru the calendar call,
after many speeches endorsing admission n moving for
admission by the sponsors, a candidate answered,
requesting an adjournment, because his sponsor was absent: Granted.
He gave him a date.
After several more candidates were successfully moven for admission,
it happened again: a candidate moved for an adjournment
on the same grounds: Granted again.
He gave him a date.
When my turn arrived, I explained to the judge
that my sponsor coud not make it because he
was on his first day of a new job, and I said:
"I move for admission to the Bar of this Court" and I argued in support of that motion.
Judicial silence for about 45 seconds . . .
then the judge asked something like: "Is Joe Blow here ?" No Blow.
"Is John Smith here ? " No Smith. (The 2 earlier adjournments)
Then the Judge said: "The motion is
GRANTED."
I was admitted to the Bar of that Court without adjournment n without any sponsor.
I got a kick out of that.
That nite, our firm's biggest client
threw a big party, for unrelated reasons.
Thay knew of my sponsorless plight n were interested in how well
I 'd made out in Court and were amused at my success in getting admitted with no sponsor.
David
