After a lengthy judicial career, the time came for the old country judge to retire. His admiration in the community that he served was immense, and so the local newspaper could not let his retirement pass uncelebrated. A young reporter was sent to interview the judge about his experiences on the bench, and excerpt of which is reproduced below:
Reporter: Do yo feel like you were a much better judge when you left the bench than you were when you first put on the black robes?
Judge: Oh, definitely. When I first took the bench, I tried very hard to make the right decision and to comb through all of the facts and arguments, but still it was very hard to make decisions. I really struggled sometimes to get comfortable with that.
Reporter: And did it get easier to make decisions later on?
Judge: Well, some cases are just plain hard, even if you feel like you are making the right decision. But I did find over the years that I a lot of the routine stuff got easier and I was able to make up my mind quicker.
Reporter: Well, how did that come about?
Judge: Well, I guess what happened was when I first took the bench, which like I said...it was hard to assimilate all of the information. I mean, all these fine lawyers would come into my court and the first lawyer would stand up and argue his points and do a good job, and I would think "well, that fellow's got a point and his client should win." Then the other lawyer would get up and point out some other things, and I would think "well, now, he's got a point, and he should win too." And of course, that would make it hard to make a decision.
Reporter: So how did you learn to deal with that better?
Judge: Well, it's like anything I suppose. After a while you pick up tips and whatnot...you know...ways of doing things that help you out.
Reporter: Well, what things helped you with the two lawyers arguing against one another?
Judge: Well, after a couple of years on the bench, I learned not to listen to the second lawyer. And that made it a lot easier...
