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To: Feline_AIDS
I am the son of a former Federal judge (unfortunately he passed away in 2002) who was appointed in 1976 under Ford. My father was a great father, a really good guy. When he was appointed, I was 15. I remember him pulling my brother (then 17) and I into the kitchen for a little sit down. He explained that he loved us, but said, “If you ever get into legal trouble, I will be there as a father to support you, but don't ever expect me to use my position to get you out of any legal trouble.”

He told us that several times during my teenage years. I would meet people who would say, “Gee, your Dad's a judge, that must mean you don't have to pay speeding tickets”, to which I would respond, “Ah, no, you've never met my Dad, have you?”

To a person, all of the Federal judges I knew through my father's tenure were absolute, upstanding individuals who would never use their position to improperly influence any court decisions on the behalf of their family members. One of the judge's family suffered through a long period of their only son being arrested numerous times for misdemeanor drug possession and DUI, always supporting him emotionally (and I'm sure financially), but never giving him an easy out. He's still a drug and alcohol counselor with 20+ years of sobriety who still credits his father with being his inspiration.

I guess my point here is my father went out of his way to explain to us that we should never expect preferential treatment, and as I grew up with a bunch of judges’ families, it seemed that was absolutely the norm and never the exception in my limited experience.

23 posted on 01/21/2009 9:15:49 PM PST by IMTOFT (At least I'm enjoying the ride...)
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To: IMTOFT

If only more public servants had the character they used to. Now it’s all about what you can get away with. It’s about cheating the system, not respecting the system as a good and just governor for all of us.


25 posted on 01/21/2009 9:20:19 PM PST by Feline_AIDS (Because canine AIDS ain't funny.)
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To: IMTOFT

My father was the City Attorney, District Attorney, then a judge. I knew that I would much rather face time in jail than my father, if I had ever gotten in trouble. He would have been the last person to help me out of legal trouble.

I never got into any.


30 posted on 01/21/2009 9:50:11 PM PST by Tex Pete (Obama for Change: from our pockets, our piggy banks, and our couch cushions!)
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To: IMTOFT

I like your dad based on what you wrote.


49 posted on 01/22/2009 3:01:44 AM PST by rawhide
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