WBA Judicial Council Update (Continued from page 3)
Judge O’Bryant believes more must be done to encourage attorneys to apply to improve the record of diversity in the Federal Administrative Law Judge corp.
She initially was an Administrative Law Judge for the Social Security Administration and then moved to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She heard cases all over the United States and its territories in federal courthouses including District Courts and Tax Courts. The hearings were formal and she wore a robe.
She said she felt that she was afforded the greatest level of respect no matter where the hearings were held. But she also noted that respect comes based upon the manner in which you carry yourself.
Judge Walton, who was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after two appointments to the District of Columbia Superior Court discussed judging today because of the complexities of our society and the cases before the courts. He believes that judges have to provide appropriate innovation within the courts to ensure that the public is involved in a meaningful way in the justice system.
For example, Judge Walton allows jurors to ask questions during trials -- in a controlled manner. “The growing complexity that we are facing in the process requires that we come up with innovative ways to ensure that jurors understand the law,” he said. “It is unconscionable that we might have jurors there (in trial) for months and unable to take notes. The judge would read the instructions once and then ask them (jurors) to go back and decide the case without even a tape of the instructions.”
According to Judge Walton, there is a lot of “kick back” among some about jurors asking questions. He said that the prosecutor and defense counsel in the Scooter Libby trial, which he presided over, were wary of allowing jurors to ask questions initially. In the end both sides came to see that the questions the jurors asked gave them a window on what the jurors concerns were. Indeed, Judge Walton said, “jurors feel more invested in the process and, therefore, the process is improved.”
The final word came from Judge Hamilton, who reminded the audience that: “We have to remember we did not get here by ourselves. We are standing on the shoulders of a lot of people who went through a lot of sacrifices. Many great lawyers and jurists have gone before us and provided a platform upon which we can proudly stand today: Fred Edwards, Norma Holloway Johnson, Mabel Hayden, Carl Moultrie, John Shorter, Dovie Roundtree, George Mitchell, John Shorter, Margaret Haywood and a few more.
The judicial council honored Attorney Donald Thigpen; Judge Arthur Burnett, Sr.; Judge Paul Webber, III; and Attorney A. Gilbert Douglass for their tireless efforts to make the Judicial Council a reality in 2000. | 
