Mall Store Staff Quits, Leaves Abusive Boss Very Public Note

[Manifestor_of_Light]

96. I was allegedly "incompetent" but I could not be replaced. I shut down his court.

True story: I was a court reporter for a civil district judge known for his random outbursts at court staff and attorneys appearing before him. He told a pregnant woman lawyer to "Not have that baby in his courtroom!"

Law firms always sent the senior partners down for even simple five minute hearings.

Anyway, I was working full time in a civil district court, typing transcripts on weekends, and going to law school at night four nights a week. Didn't need any more stress.

I got the job because his regular reporter went to probate court to do a daily copy (team of court reporters and typists, who produce a complete transcript by evening), which never happens in probate court, except that this was the probate of the estate of Howard Hughes, who was once the richest man in the world. Long time ago, about 1982. It took months to sort out all the people who came out of the bushes and claimed to be relatives.

I worked for this guy for about nine months. I am very patient, but got to where I couldn't tolerate his outbursts because they were random and nonsensical. I would cry every day after work at home, even if everyone was nice to me that day. He looked like a stern white haired old bastard out of Central Casting.

On Friday afternoons, after the judge left for the day, I often heard "BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!" That was the clerk kicking file cabinets in frustration in his office.

He was legendary for being randomly angry at staff and lawyers. Nobody could stand him.

He dropped hints. He said things like, "If you want to throw in the towel, just let me know." He was not specific. I was not on the county payroll.
I was a substitute reporter paid by the day. He thought women were supposed to stay home and be housewives, I guess.

One Friday morning after I had spent two days emptying my office, he signed my voucher to get paid weekly. I told him I wouldn't be back on Monday. He said, "That's not very much notice." I didn't tell him he was a mean old man.

For two or three months, he hung out at the docket clerk's office. She was the lady who assigned cases ready for trial to a judge to hear them.

He could not find a court reporter to replace me. Without a person to make a record of everything said in shorthand on a stenograph, you cannot hold court. No hearings and no trials. Nothing. Civil district court is the highest level trial court in Texas where they handle cases involving millions of dollars.

This was in Harris County TX (Houston) where they have 22 Civil District Courts, 24 Criminal District Courts, 10 Family District Courts, 3 Juvie District Courts, as well as a bunch of lower level trial courts, drug courts, impact courts etc.

The complex of courthouses is probably bigger than the governmental building groups in some state capitals. There are four million people living in Harris County. And there were probably 250 court reporters in town then.


He's been dead a while. When Art Lesher died, as my dad (an honest lawyer) said, "Every lawyer in town will show up at his funeral just to make sure he's dead."

I don't know why people love to be feared and cause misery by their very presence, but the legal and judicial professions attract a lot of them.
The courthouse is a madhouse and a snake pit.