Mister Mayor, my fellow colleagues of both bench and bar, it's a pleasure to be here. And one advantage is that similar to being on the bench, I have heard all of the arguments, and will take them under advisement. I have been told recently that Judge Bailey does not take matters under advisement that frequently, so I will stay out of his court. But it is indeed a pleasure to be here.

I have had my difficulties with the American legal system, and so I feel qualified to talk about it.

Learn your cases and your clients inside and out so that you have the whole picture in mind when crafting arguments.

The difficulty which I feel as a Judge, and always felt at the Bar, is this: a defendant is entitled to put his back against the wall and to fight from every available point of advantage.

"I'm a lawyer," said the corkscrew, proudly. "I am accustomed to appear at the bar."

Tonight I am going to speak on the class struggle and I am going to make it so plain that even a lawyer can understand it.

As a lawyer I am before and above all things for the supremacy of law.

There is nothing in the world that could make me turn from the law. With a clear conscience, I am prepared to answer for each and every one of my political and administrative orders and actions, and to do so before the court of public opinion...

[I]n preparing for these hearings, you may have read some of my more than 570 written decisions, and you may have also noticed that my opinions tend to be on the long side. That is because I also believe in transparency: that people should know precisely what I think and the basis for my decision. And all of my professional experiences, including my work as a public defender and as a trial judge, have instilled in me the importance of having each litigant know that the judge in their case has heard them, whether or not their arguments prevail in court.

I have said frequently, and I repeat it, that there is no Judge on the bench who is more willing to allow amendments, even at the last moment, than I, provided there is no surprise.

I have confidence that I will win, that I will get justice, that is why I came to court and as a lawyer, I know how the system works, I am not seeing any foul play bearing in mind the administrative bottlenecks. I know I will get justice.

I've been fighting with Acorn, alongside Acorn, on issues you care about, my entire career.

said on nearly every episode, when interrupted by a litigant: I'm speaking!

I appeared frequently in the courts – state and federal – for hearings and trials. Initially, I received routine compliments from judges – and grudgingly from defense attorneys – on my legal comprehension and ability. This all changed when I persisted in efforts to have the courts comply with the laws. I refused to accept the unwritten rule that certain issues are not to be challenged or exposed. My efforts were calculated to bring the courts to bear on DOC officials at the highest levels, to force them to change the conditions under which we lived, and conform them to basic requirements of the written laws. The courts had other plans. The state courts were not willing to grant these sorts of relief, although the letter of the law required it. They attempted instead, numerous times, to grant my release from prison.