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Judge of the Day: Judith Eiler

Judith Eiler Judge Judith Eiler Judy Eiler.jpgTelevision jurist Judith Sheindlin, aka "Judge Judy," is one tough customer. No matter what you do, don't pee on her leg and tell her it's raining.

But it seems that there's a real-life "Judge Judy" who may be similarly difficult. From the ABA Journal:

A Seattle-area judge has been accused of routinely interrupting litigants and lawyers and addressing them in a manner that is "angry, disdainful, condescending and/or demeaning."

The state Commission on Judicial Conduct claims in a statement of charges (PDF) that Judge Judith Eiler treated lawyers and self-represented litigants in a way that is "rude, impatient, undignified and intimidating," the Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Eiler underwent behavior therapy with an emphasis on sensitivity training after she received a reprimand in 2005 for impatient and rude behavior, the story says.

It seems that Her Honor may be something of a rudeness recidivist. Is this proof that "sensitivity training" is just a big old waste of time? Or is Judge Eiler just auditioning for a TV judge gig of her own?

P.S. Compliments to the crew at Wired on their photoshop skills, which you can see by comparing the two photos at right.

Judge Who Had Sensitivity Training Is Accused Again of Rudeness [ABA Journal]
Judge on the hot seat again [Tacoma News-Tribune]
Judge: Spam Exempt From Law When Sender Names Self [Wired]
Judge Judith R. Eiler bio [King County District Court]

Comments
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1 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, June 25, 2008 3:29 PM

I AM FIRST AS THIS IS A RUBBISH STORY ON A SLOW NEWS DAY AND THIS BLOG IS OVER RUN BY LAW STUDENTS.

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2 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, June 25, 2008 3:34 PM

This is a story? Seriously?

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3 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, June 25, 2008 3:36 PM

Weak

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4 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, June 25, 2008 3:36 PM

What the hell sort of transition is that picture supposed to represent?

Also, Judge Judy is hilarious.

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5 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, June 25, 2008 3:37 PM

Jude Judy:

A fine product of NYLS.

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6 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, June 25, 2008 3:45 PM

Judge Eiler probably hasn't had her ticket punched since the Carter administration, so cut her some slack.

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7 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, June 25, 2008 3:54 PM

Judge of the day should clearly have been Judge Schiller. http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202422520886

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8 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, June 25, 2008 3:55 PM

wow i wish i can have those 30 seconds of my life back

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9 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, June 25, 2008 4:04 PM

I don't get the picture. What the hell is it suppose to mean? This is one boring post. I keep checking back to see if ATL has recovered from lameness only to be disappointed every time.

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10 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, June 25, 2008 4:09 PM

4:04 - Slow news afternoon.

But the post on Phil Telfeyan being in the DOJ report was good, as was the post yesterday on the weirdo whose book Scalia wouldn't sign.

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11 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, June 25, 2008 4:09 PM

Complements to the crew at Wired for completely wasting their time creating an image that means nothing.

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12 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, June 25, 2008 4:12 PM

Judge Judy was a "real judge" no different than she is on TV.

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13 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, June 25, 2008 4:14 PM

"angry, disdainful, condescending and/or demeaning" . . . "rude, impatient, undignified and intimidating"

Sounds like the majority of professors and partners I've had the pleasure of working with, and is pretty much SOP for most big firm (and some small firm) lawyers. Who was doing the complaining here? What rock did that person crawl out from under?

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14 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, June 25, 2008 4:15 PM

Next, please.

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15 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, June 25, 2008 4:18 PM

"What the hell sort of transition is that picture supposed to represent?"

You have to look closely at the 'after' pictire to see the droul.

The transition is after the judge's prefrontal lobotomy performed at the 'sensitivity training'.

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16 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, June 25, 2008 4:29 PM

ALT readers have been spoiled, and are inured to any bad judge story not involving sexual misconduct, cow porn, morbid obesity, strip clubs, transvestitism, or (ideally) all of the above.


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17 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, June 25, 2008 4:31 PM

3:54 is right.

"Schiller agreed, saying: "Unfortunately for Limerick [Golf Club], their sub-par performance occurred in the pleading stage of this case and not on the golf course."

The judge then succinctly summarized his holding in a poem:

With arguments hard to resist,
The movant correctly insists,
His joinder was tardy,
And so the third-party
Complaint is hereby dismissed."

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18 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, June 25, 2008 4:40 PM

"A Seattle-area judge has been accused of routinely interrupting litigants and lawyers and addressing them in a manner that is "angry, disdainful, condescending and/or demeaning."

Isn't every judge like this?


BTW: Don't hate on Judge Judy. Doesn't she take in about $100 mil a year?

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19 Posted by guest | Permalink Wednesday, June 25, 2008 9:22 PM

I had a case in front of this nut-ball and she sanctioned me $500 for something totally ridiculous. It was pretty unbelievable. She should be removed from the bench ASAP.

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