Courtroom Disorder
Many people over the decades have lamented and bemoaned the consistently poor performance of America’s court proceedings, both civil and tort. Questions are constantly asked as to why our nation’s court system seems unable to deliver consistent good, well-reasoned, and just verdicts.
I think much of the problem is the gross stupidity of those people, especially the lawyers, involved in the American courts.
In furtherance of my case I present into evidence the following excerpts from various court proceedings:
ATTORNEY:What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS:He said , ‘Where am I, Cathy?’
ATTORNEY:And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan!~*~
ATTORNEY:What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?
WITNESS:Gucci sweats and Reeboks.~*~
ATTORNEY:Are you sexually active?
WITNESS:No, I just lie there.~*~
ATTORNEY:This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS:Yes.
ATTORNEY:And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS:I forget…
ATTORNEY:You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?~*~
ATTORNEY:Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?
WITNESS:We both do.
ATTORNEY:Voodoo?
WITNESS:We do.
ATTORNEY:You do?
WITNESS:Yes, voodoo.~*~
ATTORNEY:Now doctor , isn’t it true that when a person dies in his sleep , he doesn’t know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS:Did you actually pass the bar exam?~*~
ATTORNEY:The youngest son , the 20-year-old , how old is he?
WITNESS:He’s 20 , much like your IQ.~*~
ATTORNEY:Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS:Are you shitting me?~*~
ATTORNEY:So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS:Yes.
ATTORNEY:And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS:Getting laid.~*~
ATTORNEY:She had three children , right?
WITNESS:Yes.
ATTORNEY:How many were boys?
WITNESS:None.
ATTORNEY:Were there any girls?
WITNESS:Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?~*~
ATTORNEY:How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS:By death.
ATTORNEY:And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS:Take a guess.~*~
ATTORNEY:Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS:He was about medium height and had a beard
ATTORNEY:Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS:Unless the Circus was in town I’m going with male.~*~
ATTORNEY:Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS:No, this is how I dress when I go to work.~*~
ATTORNEY:Doctor , how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS:All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight.~*~
ATTORNEY:ALL your responses MUST be oral , OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS:Oral…~*~
ATTORNEY:Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS:The autopsy started around 8:30 PM
ATTORNEY:And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS:If not, he was by the time I finished.~*~
ATTORNEY:Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS:Are you qualified to ask that question?~*~
ATTORNEY:Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS:No.
ATTORNEY:Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS:No.
ATTORNEY:Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS:No.
ATTORNEY:So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS:No.
ATTORNEY:How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS:Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY:I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS:Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.
Sadly, we as a nation will receive exactly the court system that we deserve. If, by our gross stupidity, we stock it with fools we will assuredly reap and rue the harvest of such. 😉
NOTE: While the quotes above are pure humor and no more than that, even the book they were purported to be from, Disorder In The American Courts being a hoax, they do all seem so plausible, don’t they?
Given the long-running popularity of court proceedings as day-time reality TV ala Judge Judy or The People’s Court, and the inanity, ignorance, and gross stupidity regularly shown upon those programs, I suppose this is to be expected.
June 16th, 2011 at 8:40 am
Dear Murky,
I’m a fan, but you’re out of your depth here. If the point is that people, lawyers and others, say dumb things in court, I’m with you. But if the quotes are supposed to show the poor performance of the legal system, they dont. And by the way, your phrase “court proceedings both civil and tort” makes no sense. Tort cases are a subcategory of civil cases.
June 17th, 2011 at 5:56 pm
no matter your point, these were humorous.
June 17th, 2011 at 6:04 pm
To all,
I had little point in this beyond the inherent humor.
Yes, our courts are flawed because the people involved in their operation and execution and those involved are far, far less than ideal candidates for such offices, but I can see no remediation for this that does not, in all probability, lead to greater error and evil.