THE ROBING ROOM

A cruel and insensitive judge. I was sitting in the back of the courtroom one afternoon and able to watch how Judge Sprizzo conducted himself. About an hour late, he was wheeled in on his side, propped up on pillows like a Roman Caesar, obviously physically ill. At first it appeared that he was just cranky or in a bad mood (maybe in pain), but as the next two hours dragged on it became apparent that Judge Sprizzo was not fit to be sentencing anybody. It was clear that the judge was the instigator in the unwarranted mayhem that ensued that afternoon. He prodded unnecessarily and extended ridiculous questioning to incite emotional reactions, raised voices and uneasy feelings throughout the courtroom. I noted that after Judge Sprizzo realized he had upset the teams of lawyers and litigants he would smirk wryly and lean back on his pillows, satisfied. Lawyers and prosecutors had to reiterate numerous times the facts of their cases which gave the impression that Judge Sprizzo had not read anything previously about the people who stood before him. After speaking with a colleague who was in the courtroom that afternoon as well, we both agreed that Judge Sprizzo should retire. Both of us exited with the feeling that we had just left some sector of the Twilight Zone.