Judge Hank M. Goldberg

Some people can sit and watch “soaps,” I love to sit and watch and listen to judges, aka “bench officers,” the ones with the black robes who sit a few feet above the rest of us in courtrooms. Oh, I like state, federal and how about this, justice courts…even as a copper I enjoyed the action and the verbal combat that takes place in these institutions. Even as a kid growing up in Boston, you could always tell the cars the judges drove, Cadillacs and very cool special plates that told anyone smart enough to understand to not even bother stopping this car.  At my uncle’s restaurant they got a special parking place and even better table inside…as a kid I thought a judge was almost god-like…in Boston and New York I think they are still god-like.

Well, yesterday I sat for about six hours in Judge Hank M. Goldberg’s court, Department 82.  This guy is in the same class as Shaller and Gordon, he listens and is very attentive to the issues, attentive to the point that he leveled the playing field for a Desperate Ex. He was just on top of both attorneys who did a great job in presenting their cases. He was not overtaken by legal bullshit…lawyers presenting the facts. This cannot be easy for these judges, as it was wearing on my nerves and I was an observer enjoying myself.   He was cool in his delivery and made it clear to all present that he may be new but he is not going to be manipulated by clever lawyering.  “That is against the law”, well counselor you better be able to quote the section! Or did you just think this guy got to be a judge by being BS’d by you?  Too funny.

Judge Goldberg was with the L.A. District Attorney’s office for 16 years, and was one of the prosecutors of O.J. “Vegas Sucks!” Simpson.  Check this out, he graduated from U.C.L.A. in two years and was in the top 11% of his graduating class at Loyola Law School.  It has been said that Judge Goldberg is a “legal scholar”…just like I am not.  It was a great opportunity to sit in Department 82 and observe and listen to Judge Goldberg.  His understanding and compassion was a wonderful thing to witness and all left the courtroom feeling that justice was fair yesterday in Department 82.