Rated him a B, and it would have been a B minus/verge of C+.
Ynot grades tend to be inflated, as Ynot tries to see the best in everyone, judges and potential jurors alike.
It's hard to set a grade w/o standards. My standards are:
- the judge is well-versed in existing case law that may impact the case in front of him: A+
- the judge has experience in overseeing trials of great magnitude/where the DP is on the table: A+
- the judge is impartial in his treatment of SA/Defense: D
- the judge gives greater latitude to the defense and expects more from the SA due to burden-of-proof considerations: B-
I'm with you. I would have given him an "A" before this week, but especially Thursday and Friday turned the tide for me. His lack of control of the Defense Team is practically non-existent this week. He lets them go on and on, even when he tells them to make it shorter and not be repetitious, they still carry on, repeating the same questions over and over, just rewording them a bit. Time is of the essence, yet, he's letting them waste precious time.
That business with JAshton rejecting a juror and Cheney Mason interjecting that is was because the woman was black was beyond low. Then the judge got angry with JA because he was trying to explain his reasoning, and HHJP cut him down crudely. It was childish and uncalled for. I would have rejected the woman too because she changed her mind so easily. Other jurors who changed their minds did so after an explanation of the process. I don't really think the woman truly understood, she was talked into "her decision" so easily and quickly. Others who changed their minds did it after lots of explanation.
The fact that the SA didn't question her, I thought, was because they knew she was easily swayed and had no desire to waste additional time by questioning her.
If HHJP was short-tempered because he was tired and stressed, he took it out on the wrong person. He should have taken it out on Cheney M who has spent an entire week, s-l-o-w-l-y asking questions, s-l-o-w-l-y making jokes, and then repeating his s-l-o-w questions over and over. Also, Mason objected to several jurors which HHJP chose to overrule, but he did it in a polite manner. Why so angry with Ashton who was only doing his job the proper way???
I almost gave HHJP a "C" but since he's been excellent throughout all the hearings, I instead chose to give him a "B", albeit a very low "B".
ETA: I also felt he was far too lenient on the "hardship" angle. Vacations? A woman who would not work with him no matter how hard he tried because she attends Mass everyday? Come on. In my area, if someone came up with those excuses, they'd be sitting on that jury, for sure. The judge was willing to have the priest go to her everyday, still, she said "no". I'm sure God was scratching his head on that one, refusing her civic duty when given all those options. She was unwilling to even consider other options.
Yes, it's 4:45 on the WC / 7:45 in Florida. Can't sleep again. What am I gonna do when the trial starts! Egads.
