A judge refused to delay a trial Tuesday when an attorney objected to his wearing a judicial robe with the Ten Commandments embroidered on the front in gold.
Circuit Judge Ashley McKathan showed up Monday at his Covington County courtroom in southern Alabama wearing the robe. Attorneys who try cases at the courthouse said they had not seen him wearing it before. The commandments were described as being big enough to read by anyone near the judge.
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You know, now that I've thought about it, maybe this is a good thing. Would you dare break the law in Montgomery if you thought you'd be sentenced according to scripture? We don't have hangin' judges anymore, maybe this is the next best thing.
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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I'm against having the Ten Commandments in schools, or having them put up in courtrooms (unless you get something like the SC building where all sorts of codes of laws are put up), but I have to say, I'm not sure I really have a problem with a judge wearing a robe that has them on it...
Coveting thy neighbor's wife would be tough to enforce though.
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"I have to say, I'm not sure I really have a problem with a judge wearing a robe that has them on it."
Would you have a problem with a judge wearing a T-shirt and jeans? What if that T-shirt said something like "Ban the bomb!"
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This falls in the category of unimportant things that don't don't hurt anyone and yet that people are nevertheless going to get upset about.
A judge's clothing should not distract from justice and I don't see any reason why it would. Nobody in the courtroom is going to be unable to think or listen because the judge is wearing the Ten Commandments. Why would we think they would?
And as for any suggestions that this illustrates a government establishment of religion, I think that is rather unjustified. Nobody is going to be compelled to join any religion because their judge wears a certain robe.
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It's pointless. Either make them all wear simple black robes or let them wear whatever the heck they want. I prefer the simple black robes, personally. Otherwise we'll end up with tie-dye or something one day.
Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
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Xaposert, you've missed the point entirely. What the clothing should or shouldn't distract from isn't the issue, and frankly IMO neither is the church and state thing.
Certain occupations must maintain the appearance of objectivity or they risk doubts about their performance. Journalists shouldn't write about causes they work for (if they do, they become columnists, or editorial writers). Teachers cannot be seen hanging around underage students in potentially inappropriate places. Politicians should not legislate on bills that they personally receive a clear profit from.
On his own time, even in his own chambers, I don't care what this judge wears or hangs on his wall. In that courtroom I expect him to judge based on American law and nothing else. That may very well be the case, but it's hard to believe when he's wearing a "Go, Ten Commandments" robe. If I appeared before him on a case of, say, religious freedom, I would demand that he recuse himself.
[ December 15, 2004, 12:53 PM: Message edited by: Chris Bridges ]
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One interesting aspect of the issue - to me, anyway - is that judges have the power to impose dress standards in the courtroom, especially relating to tshirts with messages on them.
Back when a bunch of disability activists were sitting on Kevorkian's trial, we were all forbidden to carry signs in (that's a no-brainer, "Jail Jack" signs would not have been appropriate.) But we weren't even allowed to come in wearing our "Not Dead Yet" tshirts. Not that we fought it - judges are absolute rulers of their courtrooms and we pick our battles. It may even have been reasonable.
Seems like we have a system where the judge acts like the captain of the ship - imposing standards and restrictions according to their judgement. But I'm not sure there's a mechanism dealing with a judge's own errors in what they think is appopriate attire for the courtroom.
Posts: 4344 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I was reading "The Power of Myth" by Bill Moyers and Joseph Campell last night, and Campbell made a funny point about the bible. God says in the commandments "Thou shalt not kill" and "thou shalt not covet thy neighber's wives." Fast forward a bit, and God says "Now, go thou into Canann, kill all the men, and put all the women into bondage." Posts: 6316 | Registered: Jun 2003
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