Joe Biden has named Judge Merrick Garland to be Attorney General, which brings to mind my brief time in his court room some 30 years ago
Sam Smith 1990 - Nineteen citizens, including myself, sued the President, Senate, House, and federal control board for the lack of DC self-government. The day before our hearing before a special three-judge panel [including Garland] in US District Court (in the very courtroom of Watergate, Iran-Contra, and Monica fame) someone called the US Marshals and warned that our group might be planning some disruption. Sure enough, when I entered the courthouse with co-plaintiff and black minister Graylan Hagler, there seemed an excess number of surly cops standing outside aggressively holding their batons horizontally.
We enter the courthouse and a black US Marshall comes up and asks, "Can I help you gentlemen?" Graylan asks where we can get some coffee and the Marshall points down the stair, adding, "I've been to your church, Reverend. One of my men is on your vestry. Let's go bless him."
A bit later, the pair returns and the
Marshall shakes hands with each of the plaintiffs and leads us
to some of the best seats in the courtroom. From violent threat
to honored guests in less than five minutes.
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