He was a real attorney

Attorneys who represented slumlords and other property owners in Housing Court seemed not to be respected by Judges.

They often spoke on behalf of building owners who mistreated tenants, misrepresented the status of building repairs, and sometimes outright lied (under oath).

Judges frequently sighed when those folks spoke and waited patiently for them to finish.

Sometimes, a more respected attorney showed up to speak on behalf of a client who had never before appeared in Housing Court and, perhaps, may have simply owned a building that had fallen into disrepair. The lawyer spoke formally, as if trying a case in some other courtroom.

In one instance, the attorney was pacing before the bench, just beginning to make his argument. He didn’t hear the Judge say, “You can stop now, counselor. I’ve ruled in your favor.”

The lawyer had no idea why the Judge had done that. But that didn’t matter. He hustled his client out of the courtroom and was never seen there again.

Get more Housing Court stories in “An Inside Job: A Frank Recollection of 48th Ward Happenings” at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/992452