The unexpected event in court and cooking
While there are many unexpected events while practicing law, many are so out of the ordinary they are akin to a meat dish in the oven which has a air bubble or some such type of foreign substance and explodes during the cooking process.
In a recent court case, we made appeared for oral argument on a motion and unfortunately all #$%^ broke loose. I arrived in the court with my summer intern, and explained to her that in court you have to expect the unexpected. But, when we began our argument, the judge quickly interrupted and started to adopt my reasoning, and at this point, I realized the other legal philosophy of "keeping your mouth shut" when you are winning.
However, the judge soon realized that the other side, unrepresented by counsel, did not understand this principle, nor were they winning. So, at some point, they all started mouthing off on their own in open court. I would equate this to "too many cooks in the kitchen." And, one of them had a filthy mouth. The judge hearing this, politely asked them to speak one at a time. They did not heed this advise.
In short order, the judge granted my motion. And, then, in the hall way, the other side began to fight with each other. I watched with complete surprise and stayed out of the fray, and kept my intern and client out of the fray. Two of the female witnesses for the opposing side began to scream at each other louder and louder. And, then, one of them began to chest but the other. Much like the roast with the foreign substance, she probably had a controlled substance in her system. A fight erupted, the hall outside the court fell in chaos, they were eventually taken down by the security guards.
This court event could not have been predicted and my summer intern witnessed a totally off the chart crazy event. In my twenty plus career years as an attorney, I have only seen two fights in the hallway in my cases. Usually, those attending realize that if this occurs they will be arrested, and usually are, so cool heads prevail. Obviously, the opposing side in my case, did not get a douse of common sense.
And, much like an exploding roast or pie or whatever, this fight took me completely off guard, I remember seeing one years ago in a British Court -- Old Bailey, when studying there, and in that unlike this case, the fight was between each side not within the same side.
Bottom line, in court, but not so much in cooking, always expect the unexpected, and sometimes even that is an understatement.
In a recent court case, we made appeared for oral argument on a motion and unfortunately all #$%^ broke loose. I arrived in the court with my summer intern, and explained to her that in court you have to expect the unexpected. But, when we began our argument, the judge quickly interrupted and started to adopt my reasoning, and at this point, I realized the other legal philosophy of "keeping your mouth shut" when you are winning.
However, the judge soon realized that the other side, unrepresented by counsel, did not understand this principle, nor were they winning. So, at some point, they all started mouthing off on their own in open court. I would equate this to "too many cooks in the kitchen." And, one of them had a filthy mouth. The judge hearing this, politely asked them to speak one at a time. They did not heed this advise.
In short order, the judge granted my motion. And, then, in the hall way, the other side began to fight with each other. I watched with complete surprise and stayed out of the fray, and kept my intern and client out of the fray. Two of the female witnesses for the opposing side began to scream at each other louder and louder. And, then, one of them began to chest but the other. Much like the roast with the foreign substance, she probably had a controlled substance in her system. A fight erupted, the hall outside the court fell in chaos, they were eventually taken down by the security guards.
This court event could not have been predicted and my summer intern witnessed a totally off the chart crazy event. In my twenty plus career years as an attorney, I have only seen two fights in the hallway in my cases. Usually, those attending realize that if this occurs they will be arrested, and usually are, so cool heads prevail. Obviously, the opposing side in my case, did not get a douse of common sense.
And, much like an exploding roast or pie or whatever, this fight took me completely off guard, I remember seeing one years ago in a British Court -- Old Bailey, when studying there, and in that unlike this case, the fight was between each side not within the same side.
Bottom line, in court, but not so much in cooking, always expect the unexpected, and sometimes even that is an understatement.
posted by Christopher Zampogna at 6:01 PM
3 comments
