THE ROBING ROOM

I have known this judge since her time as a district court judge. I remain in that district. My observations are purely anecdotal -- what I've read and what folks in Cedar Rapids tell me. I only write to add the comment that I was pleased to see the half-dozen or so times last year when she recused herself after recognizing -- indeed condemning -- the Northern District/Eastern Division U.S. Attorney's Office's prosecutorial misconduct. There are two ways to look at that. Either she was so angry with the prosecution for showing its true colors that she recognized any ruling she would make would look bad, or she was so even-handed that she did not want to leave the criminal languishing in prison when an inevitable appeal would occur -- from either side -- because she chose to sentence the defendant anyhow. Those of you 'in the trenches' can make that call.