There is no perfect temperature.
2006-10-03
7:36 a.m.
We started a new court term yesterday morning. And we started a whole new bitch session about the level of the AC.
There is an elderly bailiff in that courtroom that is the most bull-headed cantankerous COLD man I've ever seen. He truly does not care if it's 90 degrees and everyone in the courtroom is sweating and pulling off their jackets as long as HE is comfortable.
As soon as the slightest breeze of cool air is detected, he is jumping out of his seat to run to the thermostat.
The court clerk is generally a patient man, from what I've seen, but yesterday he just had enough of the cold bailiff and got up to turn the AC on. The clerk does have to wear a jacket in the courtroom, and he is sitting very near a window where the afternoon sun streams in. It is probably the hottest seat in the courtroom.
When the bailiff started complaining (which was immediately after the judge said "Court's in recess for a few minutes," the clerk jumped in and told him it was hot. That he was hot, the court reporter was hot (and I was nodding my head in enthusiastic agreement) and the lady bailiff in the corner was hot, as well as the assistant DA. (Note to Cinzel: It's the young Mr. Rogers one.) The assistant DA was also nodding his head vigorously.
The judge jumped in and said he was hot, too, but when the bailiff kept up his bitter complaints, the judge weaseled and waffled and finally said how about we put it on 76 and leave it there." Ha! It'll be 85 degrees when it's left on 76.
The assistant DA cracked me up when he told the clerk -- outside of earshot of the bailiff -- "Hey, we got your back on the AC issue. Weasel up there (pointing to the now empty bench) just weaseled out, but we got your back."
Won't this be a fun term???
The clerk took control over the thermostat then and kept us all comfortable, while the bailiff, huffing mightily, had to put on his jacket. He spent the rest of the afternoon complaining about how the county was wasting money on all this AC.
I know the defendants must think we are the most trivial people they've ever seen when they watch these temperature battles in the courtroom. They are going away to prison for years of their lives, and we are bitching about how hot or cold it is in the courtroom. Of course none of us has committed the crimes to be in their shoes and getting sent away.
All right, then. A totally boring entry about the dynamics of our courtroom. We're supposed to have a trial today, so I got to get moving.
Over and out.
5 comments so far Jenn - 2006-10-03 10:11:47
I'd MUCH rather be cold than hot. I don't understand how one person can be put before everyone else, that's crazy. I guess that whole "squeaky wheel gets the grease" thing is true, huh?
-------------------------------
cinzel - 2006-10-03 10:25:10
That short, fat focker...he is DEFINITELY getting a set of pedals to work up some TRUE steam in the courtroom!!!
-------------------------------
Megan - 2006-10-03 17:24:06
Dear Melanie, I guess courtrooms around the country suffer the same maladies. The circuit of four courtrooms I travel are all so different -- some cold, some VERY cold; some are rather warm no matter where the thermostate is set. Our bailiffs, however, all wear flack jackets, so they are always burning up and fanning themselves. Even during the winter, the powers that be over the courtroom thermostate can't get the air conditioner cold enough for the bailiffs. I just make the best of it by always carrying a jacket, just in case of a sudden drop in temperature. Once upon a time, on an extremely cold day, I actually walked to my car and grabbed a blanket to wrap around my legs because the air conditioner was running instead of the heater. My judge, though, would take a dim view of his "staff" shedding their clothing -- even if they were HOT. However, the male attorneys I report in front of probably wouldn't mind.
-------------------------------
Megan - 2006-10-03 18:21:51
Dear Melanie, Thought I'd let you know I have a brand new diary on Diaryland. I have no way of knowing how often I'll update. Megan fka catinasnit
-------------------------------
Megan - 2006-10-03 18:23:12
opps. I forgot to tell you my new diaryland name: M-Lewis.diaryland.com. at least I hope that's right.
-------------------------------