From the real world: Does Judge Cofield 'get it'? (Doesn't seem like it.)

Per the Hartford Courant (web) clip below, Connecticut Superior Court Judge E. Curtissa Cofield apologized profusely for her past actions (please see previous post here), and "accepts full responsibility".

Then she immediately whines publicly about the decision.

""I'm not happy with the decision," she said, "But it won't affect my ability to give justice to others.""

The 'ink' wasn't even dry yet....

Please see additional commentary below the clip.

clipped from www.courant.com Judicial Panel Suspends Cofield For 240 Days By JON LENDER And MARK PAZNIOKAS The Hartford Courant E. Curtissa R. Cofield, the judge who called a state trooper racial names such as "Negro trooper" during her drunken-driving arrest last October, was suspended Monday for 240 days. The state Judicial Review Council unanimously found that Cofield violated the Code of Judicial Conduct by invoking her position as a Superior Court judge to influence and intimidate police, by using disparaging, demeaning and racially inappropriate language against police officers, and by driving drunk. The council could have suspended Cofield for up to a year or recommended her removal by the state Supreme Court. Still, Cofield called the 240-day penalty too stiff. "I think it's awfully harsh, but I think that they certainly did what they thought was right," Cofield said, once the decision was announced Asked if she would appeal, she said, "No, I'm going to accept full responsibility for my actions."

From statements at the disciplinary hearing, The Courant's newspaper article further describes her as being "mystified" by her use of racially insensitive language during her tirade. She attributes it to ""my intoxicated condition"".... (Though she backed off her previous only "two drinks" guess-timate.)

And later on in the article a fellow judge describes how Judge Cofield was going through " a tough time" personally when she arrested.

Two quick observations from the real world: 1) What if an "ordinary person" (a not-so-subtly demeaning phrase used ad nauseam) was caught doing the same thing to a police officer.... or anyone? One way or another, my guess is that the person's (read: you or me) present, "everyday" means of making a living would either come to an abrupt end, or just a more gradual one. (I.e., Our reputation would be 'trashed'.) And no audience would listen or care if we thought our consequences were "harsh".

1a) There is NO excuse for drinking and driving....for anyone. (Please also see previous posts.)

Instead of publicly complaining, this latest high-level person/criminal/"victim" should be "kissing the feet" of those who ruled that her career wasn't officially over today. I think she's more fortunate than most of us would be in such circumstances.

Don't think she "gets" that. (I'm being kind here....)

(Or, maybe she did kiss some feet. I.e., there was some kind of 'back room' deal and her disciplinary hearing comments were merely for public 'dog and pony' show consumption. Cynical, and probably unlikely.... but this IS 'Corrupt-icut'.)

Finally, if interested, check out the link (below) to the "comments" section for the Courant's web article. Even filtering out the more extreme, I'd characterize them generally as howls of protest (or laughter or whatever) over the outcome of this latest 'official process' .

http://www.topix.net/forum/source/hartford-courant/TDPRRD07NDTVTCMUK