2011: A Judicial Odyssey

The Bessemer city council was to choose a new municipal judge last night to fill an empty seat. Judge Scott Roebuck is assuming all the duties for two judges right now, but he didn't look too drawn down at the council meeting. He was to be re-appointed to his position as well.

Was to.

I used that phrase twice in the lead paragraph. I guess you have figured out by now that no judges were appointed.

The council has been working on this for nine weeks. It's a no-brainer who the most qualified candidate is.

The council surprised the audience when one member made a motion to table the decision and another quickly seconded. After some brief discussion, which indicated to me that some members were in the know, and others were in the dark, the council voted to table the vote for two weeks.

It seems that there was some question as to the duties of the two judges and some financial issues. It also seems to me that there is now some question as to why this did not come up during the nine weeks that this has been going on?

I'm all for getting things right, and avoiding sausage making during council, but nine weeks is plenty of time.

A dog can become pregnant, and nine weeks later, her puppies will be born.



Isn't that neat.

But I'm not going to be too critical of the council. They are still doing a good job, have not embarrassed us, are not wasting (too much of) the citizen's time.

See you on February 15, when a new municipal judge (might) be chosen. That will be a morning meeting.

Here's the opening of 2001 A Space Odyssey, one of the greatest movies of all time.