The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1920-10-23
THOUGHTS IN THINKTANK
WHEN JUDGE DECIDES CAST

| THOUGHTS IN THINKTANK
WHEN JUDGE DECIDES CASE
What goes on in the minds of the
lawyers, the plaintiff, and defendant,
| when the judge renders his decision?
| The final testimony has been heard.
| the final pleadings of the lawyers
have been presented. The judge be-
| gins to speak. Everything becomes
quiet. Rapt attention is registered
on the faces of all, and especially
on the faces of the lawyers, the
| plaintiff and the defendant. One of
| those lawyers will win his case and
| the other lose. The decision will go
| either to the plaintiff or the defen-
| dant.
"Well now, Old Top, if you don't
| decide in my favor it won't be my
fault, because l have done my best,
have put up good fight" thinks
the lawyer for the plaintiff. The
| plaintiff himself thinks "Now here's
| where | find out whether l have to
pay the costs or the other fellow
does" Plaintiffs lawyer thinks to
| himself, thinks he, and thinks: "Why!
| it sounds like the old judge was IA
voring me, but one never can tell,
| they do that sometimes to let fell
| low down easy" The judge con-
tinues his remarks while the attor~-
ney for the defendant, sitting erect
and with a bright and intelligent
look beaming from his countenance,
| thinks 81 know there are no flaws in
my argument, Judge; I may be on
the wrong side of the case but this is
one time when the man in the wrong
will win simply through the brilliancy
of his lawyer"
There is one other person thinking
intently while the judge speaks AMI
he is the one against whom the &C
| ton was brought. If the case goes
against him he will have to pay, not
only the demands of the plaintiff,
but the costs of the suit and any
other expenses the lawyers can tack
on to the bill. eff that ! /! !
| crook they have been referring to as
| plaintiff gets all that money out OF
| me, III take it out of his hide" are
| the thoughts of the defendant as the
| Judge seems to be favoring the other
side. ''Of course, | don't care SO
much about the money, but | would
| like the laugh to be turned on that
| !!! I! heather of crook. He
thinks I'm easy and has been making
| me out liar all through this trial
-! i! +! % "Liar, why he is the
biggest ! !! III! ! liar | ever heard
! ie."
| MeanW lille hope seems to brighten
| on the face of the plaintiff. His
cause was just and he thinks "Well,
maybe that fellow can't afford the
money but he should not have mis-
represented things to me. 1t will
teach him lesson and perhaps save
others from his treachery. By Heck!
it will be just good enough for him
if / do win."
"Hully Gee!" thinks the plaintiffs
lawyer as the judge presents his
reasons for favoring the plaintiff,
'"but it makes me feel good to win
a case when have an old and season
ed attorney like him against me; it
does me good, he's so sure of him.
self all the time"
The decision is rendered in favor
of the plaintiff. 1t is done so quietly
that unless you are listening intently
YOU will miss it and wonder why the
attention of those four are not still
directed to the judge. Look at their
faces for the decision. The attorney
for the plaintiff seems to be more
ahighly elated than anyone; pride in
honest effort shines on his face. The
plaintiff himself has a satisfied ex-
preston on his countenance; the de-
PENDANT, trying to appear good
loser, is fumbling in his pocket for
some papers which he and his at
torney look over a moment before
they begin figuring.
Thus we leave them, each with his
own separate and distinct thoughts
on the same subject, in this land Of
free thinking people, to blame the
lawyer, the judge, or the other fell
low as they wish, while the judge
thinks to himself, thinks he IF they
don't like my decision, they may APP
peal to higher court; I've done my
best in the light of the evidence pre-
scented, what more can any human
do?