Emotion in the Courtroom

We screened a few clips of our judges, sitting on the bench, ruling on cases, and in some instances, functioning m0re like real people with actual emotions than cold jurists. In fact, in one clip we saw Judge Milian tearfully telling a plaintiff that it was time for him to get on with his life. In another clip, Judge Ferrer had completely disarmed a plaintiff by engaging in a conversation that seemed too personal and would have been regarded as undignified if not altogether inappropriate in a more conventional court of law. Both of our guests, however, agreed that such displays of human behavior humanized the legal experience for most people, rather than having the law come across as cold, unfeeling, and remote from basic human emotions. Bringing judges down from their pedestals of emotional indifference builds greater trust with those who appear before them and provides citizens with a stronger connection to justice and a greater sense that they have actually received a true hearing and their day in court. As Judge Milian said: "The people love us. What they don't love are the judges who have treated them badly and shown them no respect."