Let Freedom Burn

For now, we can still burn flags. In a way, Rothbard lives.

Courtly Behavior

After two years of working for a lawyer, I finally went to court (Superior Court of the State of California, in and for the County of San Diego, North County Division) yesterday. I had to drop off a file to be picked up by an attorney who would continue (postpone) an afternoon hearing as a favor for our office. The judge had insisted that we appear to continue the hearing, and since my boss's associate went on vacation as of Friday, we needed to get another attorney to appear for us to continue that hearing.

After leaving the file with the bailiff, I decided to stick around for a few minutes and watch the proceeding. The Respondent was representing himself, and the Petitioner had an attorney representing her (apparently working for free, as he indicated to Judge Isackson). The issues before the court were property issues (the Petitioner's 401K, the community residence, attorney's fees paid from community funds, etc.), but the Respondent kept bringing up child custody issues. He kept telling the court that he had tapes (which were of course not submitted as evidence) wherein the Petitioner had indicated that she did not even want to have the children. That was the whole thrust of the Respondent's argument; he barely said anything in response to the issues before the court (the Respondent did show a lack of understanding of community property when he could not understand how paying attorney's fees from money earned during the marriage constituted community funds).

Some advice to those who choose to appear before the court in propria persona: please at least read the local rules for the particular county in which you will appear. If poring over a voluminous tome discussing the rules of court does not appeal to you, then get an attorney. While attorneys tend to be expensive (though the attorney for Petitioner was working "gratis," as he told the judge), it will save you the embarrassment of being off topic in the courtroom, and you will have a better chance of getting what you want.

The court took a fifteen minute recess to give the court reporter a break. The judge said she would give her rulings after the recess. I left then, partly because I had to get back to work, and partly because I did not really care whom would receive which property. It seemed really trivial. Plus, I now had a better idea of what my boss does in court. I, however, do not want to follow in my boss's footsteps.

Gradually Graduating in Gradations

(Note: All of these pictures were taken in Los Angeles, California. Weird, huh?)