Campaigning from behind bars, a defiant Milwaukee Ald. Michael McGee led eight challengers to survive Tuesday's primary election.Ald. McGee has been in custody since last May and faces charges for an array of State and federal offenses.
Here's a few highlights from McGee's appearance January 10 before Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Dennis P. Moroney, on a motion to have his then-attorney Glenn Givens withdraw from his case.
THE DEFENDANT: Good morning, Your Honor. I'll greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ...How awesome is that? The court tells the defendant he's using words he doesn't understand, by using a word nobody understands.
THE DEFENDANT: Your Honor, I just want you to understand that since I've been in custody and the State collaborated with the Federal government to hold me in Federal custody and to the Federal government's - -
THE COURT: Ba-ba-ba. Hold on. I'm not in collusion with any Federal government.
THE DEFENDANT: I understand that. I've released - -
THE COURT: Don't use those words.
THE DEFENDANT: I didn't mean to say that. The U.S. attorney's office and the district attorney's office.
THE COURT: You're using thaumaturgic words and you don't know the meaning of them, sir.
Then, after receiving a mini-lecture on the attorney-client relationship ("and you guys better kiss and make up"), McGee pushes the court again:
THE DEFENDANT: Your Honor, I didn't get to complete my statement.The court since granted a similar motion on January 31 based on an irreconciliable breakdown in attorney-client communications, and Ald. McGee has other lawyers now. And a place on the April 1 ballot.
THE COURT: It sounded like it to me. You stopped.
THE DEFENDANT: I'm getting badgered by Mr. Givens and yourself.
THE COURT: No one's badgering you. I've heard enough from you right now. Don't give me that I haven't given you your say. You've been saying things which are completely outrageous, and I'm not going to stand for that, because this case is going to be based on fact, it's going to be based on fact, not emotions, sympathy or passion, understand that.
And there will be no more references in this courtroom concerning anything about God or anything like that, not that there's anything wrong with that, but I will not allow you to try to invoke sympathy or prejudice or passion in or belief in Christians that you have some great or some position with the Lord one way or the other, and that's for you and your Lord but not for sharing in this courtroom which is a public sector. So understand that as well.
The Court will deny the motion ...
I'm proud to say that I do, in fact, know what "thaumaturgic" means, and I happen to think it's pretty awesome that a judge would reach into his arsenal and come out with such a magnificent ten dollar word.
ReplyDeleteThe real question is whether Judge Gableman knows what "thaumaturgic" means.
I happen to think it's pretty awesome that a judge would reach into his arsenal and come out with such a magnificent ten dollar word.
ReplyDeleteIndeed!
I'm not ashamed to say I did not know its meaning. However, that miracle known as the on-line dictionary helped me find the promised land.
ReplyDeleteI had to look it up too. (Incidentally, it's spelled 'thraumaturgic' in the court transcript.)
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of language, I'd like to propose "getting Badgered" as a new euphemism, meaning, "being charged with criminal offenses in the State of Wisconsin."
At the risk of picking a nit, I think "getting Badgered" would be best described as a dysphemism, rather than a euphemism (although that depends rather on your opinion of the criminal justice system of Wisconsin).
ReplyDeleteAlso, those appearing on Fox News should be said to be "getting Rodgered."
Reading these lawyerly blawgs has improved my vocab. Esenberg sends me to the online dictionary from time to time with his 9 dollar words (salvific).
ReplyDeleteThaumaturgic went over my head. I am sure it went over Mcgee's (likely the point in using it).
"Getting badgered" could also be a euphemism for having your ass handed to you by the Wisconsin voters.
Well, even though I am not a lawyer, I even knew what thaumaturgic meant. I give credit to a wasted adolescence playing D&D and reading way too many swords and sorcery paperbacks.
ReplyDelete