Hennepin County Judge Peter Albrecht, known for his humor and compassion, says he will miss people, not cases.
Two lines snake through separate security checkpoints every day in the Hennepin County Government Center. One is for employees who flash badges and breeze through. The longer, slower line is for the public.
District Judge Peter Albrecht made a habit of getting in the public line, pocketing his badge and patiently enduring the wait. Albrecht says he believes employees should be subject to the same weapons screening as everyone else.
The 65-year-old judge, who formally retires at the end of the month, brought that same sense of equality to his courtroom. Since first handling misdemeanors after he was elected at 32 in 1976 to what was then the municipal court, Albrecht has earned a reputation for two things: an unfailingly gentle demeanor in the courtroom and unrelenting practical jokes outside of it.
His neighbor on the 16th floor and best friend, Judge Gary Larson, has been a frequent target.
Albrecht once sneaked fake ants into Larson's mouthwash bottle in the judicial bathroom. He secreted a Halloween "mummy" into Larson's office to scare him (it worked -- twice in a day).
He repeatedly crept into Larson's courtroom when it was empty and ever so gradually moved the piece of duct tape on the floor closer and closer to the judge's bench. The tape marks the place Larson tells defendants to stand.
Newer Judge Robert Small said that when he moved onto the 16th floor, he "knew there would be something. The place has a reputation."
There was. Albrecht placed Small's nameplate on his door -- a foot off the floor. Small is considerably shorter than Albrecht.
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Hennepin County Judge With Everyman Touch Calls It a Career
It's wonderful to hear about a good judge once in a while, despite his weird sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteJokes are fine, but was he a fair and honest judge?
ReplyDeleteUsually people who have humor do also have compassion.
ReplyDelete