An area judge was perturbed when a woman parked in his space at the courthouse:
This was the morning topic on the station my car’s radio is stuck on. Most people thought the judge was overboard. I think he’s probably a jerk but she sounds like an idiot, so I’m more on his side.
My favorite part of the article:
Right. Maybe she does deserve special parking.
Sure I agree with it. But I’m evil.
Here in Santa Barbara a handicapped enabled van with a placard parked in a judge’s space. The judge let the air out of the tires of the van. A few court employees witnessed this. When the cops came to investigate, another judge took all of the witnesses into a room and talked to them for nearly an hour before the cops got to question them. Both of the judges got a reprimand in their file. :rolleyes:
The judge in the OP was an asshole and way out of line.
I’m torn. Since I spent 5 years of my life enforcing parking violations I have little tolerance for people who can’t figure out parking. But the judge’s response seems over the top.
Sounds to me like he got his point across since she says she’ll never ever do it again. Reserved spots are reserved spots, you park in them, you take your chances. The judge could have done worse…he could have had her towed which would have cost at least $200 in most places, plus she would have to find a way to go get her car and hope the car wasn’t damaged while being towed. Or he could have gone “Fried Green Tomatoes” on her car, likely being older and better insured. $10 and a wasted afternoon? Meh.
The judge’s reaction was more than necessary, but the woman was clearly not the sharpest crayon in the box. Overall, I’d side with the judge since he reacted the way would have if I’d been in his situation and had the guts.
You guys honestly think that judges, of all people, should be above the law?
Having covered courtrooms for a local newspaper, I’ve got a bit of a bias against judges. I’ve found that, as a general rule, those in the robes have some of the most elitist, “don’t fuck with me because I’m the hottest shit there is” attitudes out there. Many of them really do think they’re miles above the law.
Yes, he could have had her towed. But the second she was ticketed, his whole juvenile “I’ll make you stay here just because I can” game was over. Either she plays along with the judge’s game, or she faces legal repercussions – not both.
I’d like to think that if I were in Delameter’s shoes, I wouldn’t wait a month or two and then key the fuck out of this douchebag’s car…I really would. I wouldn’t be able to guarantee it, though.
Absolutely not. He was way overboard. In every state I know a “reserved” sign has no legal weight, unlike a handicapped parking space. He held her against her will for an offense that was not illegal and was at worst a little rude. And he used the power of his office to do it. His power does not reach outside of the courtroom. He is not a police officer who can enforce motor vehicle statutes. He was wrong and I would bring charges against him if I were her.
I have a private parking spot.
When someone parks in it, I block them in too.
I’m not a judge, I’m just someone who’s territorial about her parking spot. 
He should have just had her towed and have her pay a huge fine, instead of $10 and a few wasted hours and the embarrasment of having to call her daughter’s dentist and cancel the appointment because she took a judges parking space. But his method was probably more fun for him. I’m sure if he had also received a $10 parking ticket for his breakage of the law, he would have happily paid it.
Look where his rear tire is and the color of the line it is at the end of. Judgie McAsshat probably blocked another spot while he was at it. It doesn’t take a lot of geometry to figure out that he’s going to be blocking more than just his own spot. I would have called a wrecker and had him towed.
He blocked her in. Big deal. Around my neck of the woods, we’ve got people (me inlcuded) who think the best way to punish HOV violators is to make them sit in their car on the shoulder for a couple of hours, until the HOV restrictions are lifted. Somehow I think that would get the point across a lot better than just making them pay a fine. You will sit and you will stay until you learn the rules.
The girl in question should consider this a cheap lesson.
I must admit that I’ve parked someone in when they took my spot. But only after I’d asked her repeatedly not to do it. That said the judge should’ve just had her towed if she was parked illegally instead of being a dick. He wasted her time for no reason, he wasted the time of the people who had to wait for his assistant to move the car and he wasted the assistant’s time. I’m sure there was something else that the assistant could have been doing all day instead of playing shitty little games on the judge’s behalf. One would hope that the judge wouyld be embarrassed by the media coverage but considering his assholish response when asked if he did anything illegal he obviously isn’t.
As far as her explanation as to why she parked in the spot, without the wording of the sign being in the article who’s to say she wasn’t completely reasonable in believing that the spot was associated with the court room as opposed to the specific judge?
He blocked her and other cars in, but had an assistant move his car whenever another judge came or went.
I’m fully with the judge. I have parking outside my house; if someone else parks in it, I’ll block them in.
Even if it had his name and picture on it I don’t think it makes a difference. If someone has a cite for the parking laws where the incident happened. I do not know the laws in every state but round here she did nothing illegal. Any one can put up a “reserved” sign but that does not make it against the law. In New Jersey the only parking violation which can be enforced in a parking lot is handicapped parking, and that is only if the spot is marked IAW state law. Fire Zone violations are covered under local ordinances and not state law.
Let’s say there is a law where this happened which protects the judges parking spot. He still has no authority to enforce the law. It’s his job to rule on it. If he called in the local police to enforce the parking rules he should not be allowed to rule on it since he is involved. This is abuse of power.
My thoughts exactly.
I can’t believe how many people are defending or supporting this asshole judge in the abuse of his authority.
I’m not sure, which, if any, laws that he violated.
This wasn’t his house. It was a public parking lot and he’s a fucking judge.