Posted on 01/05/2010 9:23:32 AM PST by Between the Lines
New York: Incoming Ulster County judge Donald A. Williams has been sworn into office with his left hand on a dictionary instead of a book of scripture.
When the time came to swear in Williams, a Republican, no Bible could be found so the former district attorney took his oath on a dictionary. Williams was unconcerned by the substitution, saying that the swearing-in is ceremonial only.
There is no requirement for officials to be sworn in on a Bible but most choose to do so, many with their own family Bible. The substitution in this case reportedly injected 'a light moment' into the solemn ceremony.
Words, just words... lol
So help me Webster.
Just going by the book works for me.
Couldn’t he have just used a copy of “Rules for Radicals”
like Obama?
Then why would he even do it with a dictionary? Just raise your hand for goodness sakes. This judge isn`t passing the smell test already. Something up here....
I wonder if any pol has ever taken the oath with his hand on....
The Constitution.
The one book that never appears on the liberal American Library Ass' "banned book week" list even though it is banned in government institutions across this land.
just goes to show how these liberals feel that morality and the bible are irrelevant
Yes, the swearing-in is ceremonial. But it isn’t a joke. IF there was no bible, he should have just sworn his oath without one, not pretend he had a Bible.
(I presume they didn’t really think that swearing on a dictionary would mean something special).
I have my bible on my PDA, I wonder if they would have used something like THAT for swearing-in?
Well, could be an honest mistake. Each of them thought that the other would have a Bible available for the swearing in.
But I don’t see the point of making a joke out of it. That is disturbing. If you solemnly swear by God that you will perform all the duties of the office as they should be performed, that should suffice. Hopefully this guy didn’t solemnly swear by “a, and, and the,” or even by “antidisestablishmentarianism.”
If the judge would agree to adjudicate cases in such a fashion that the definitions of the words in the laws were accepted as they are found in the dictionary instead of how liberal/politically-correct types want them re-defined I’d propose that EVERY judge be sworn in on a dictionary.
Wasn’t there a Koran lying around somewhere or the Book of Sharia Law? Times must be really rough for supplies these days.
Maybe this is the first question of the RINO vetting questionnaire. If elected/selected, do you have a personal Bible to use for your swearing in ceremony?. If answer is no, NEXT!
If the judge would agree to adjudicate cases in such a fashion that the definitions of the words in the laws were accepted as they are found in the dictionary instead of how liberal/politically-correct types want them re-defined (e.g., the word “right”) I’d propose that EVERY judge be sworn in on a dictionary.
You have a point.
Maybe they should all be sworn in on a copy of the
constitution.
KINGSTON — Donald A. Williams Jr. began practicing law in New York 30 years ago, and for the vast majority of that time, he's been a prosecutor.
So he nods in anticipation when the question is asked: With all that experience on the prosecution side, how can a voter be ensured that Williams will be even-handed as an Ulster County judge?
"I can rely on a 30-year, proven and very public record," he says. "It is not the district attorney's role to seek convictions. Instead, it is the district attorney's role to hold individuals accountable for the crimes they did commit, to advocate for victims' rights, to protect the constitutional rights of all parties, including those charged with offenses that are presumed to be innocent — and it is equally, or more, compelling that the district attorney ensure that innocent people are not unjustly punished or prosecuted."
Stuff like this happens all the time with ‘RATS; we never hear about it.
Initially I thought ‘that’s strange, a Republican did that’ but I missed the obvious explanation.
A RAT might say that since every word found in the Bible is also found in the dictionary...then, what’s the difference?
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