Paying off the judge

When a religious organization was preparing to open a service facility in the 50th ward, forty years ago, a retired Circuit Court Judge who resided nearby demanded a payoff, threatening to “make trouble” for the group if it didn’t fork over the specified amount of cash.

Its permits were in order and it had followed all city regulations.

A member of the group asked me how it should handle the threat.

I said, “Tell the Judge to go jump in the lake.”

It paid him off. It didn’t want any trouble.