CBA Record July-August 2021

remembers the “I’m not a cat” video from Texas state court. The reflex to instill “order in the court” vanishes just as quickly as his confusion over the ‘hot mic’ as he ponders the logistics of a virtual contempt hearing. “Alright, let’s have it out then, Mr. Cor- nelius. Or whoever is on Mr. Cornelius’s computer this morning,” Judge Ceres says, moving the bottom file folder to the top of his stack. Cavilleri announces his presence and starts his video. Cornelius’s square remains dark. Judge Ceres asks, “Mr. Cornelius, are you still there?” The red crossed-out microphone icon disappears, and the same too-young-for- court voice pipes out of the black square, “Dad, your case is up! Mom’s hospice nurse needs to let you do your job.” Unaware that the mic is live, Cornelius says, “He’s a great judge, but he never calls my case this early. Thanks hon. The nurse is taking a break, so why don’t you go bring your mom some breakfast and see if it’s time for her meds.” And then, realizing the situation, he says, “Sorry, Your Honor. Jacob Cornelius, Esq. for the Defendant.” Judge Ceres has never seen anything like this in a court of law. And did he really just hear that Cornelius respects him, after all? “Jacob, you should have told me what the situation was,” Cavilleri says. “I would

have gotten a continuance.” “Mr. Cornelius, are you prepared to go forward with the status, or is your junior associate stepping up for you today?” Judge Ceres holds back an understanding smile, as Cornelius and his daughter are both on-screen now. “Well, Your Honor, I think she’s a few

years away from getting her 711 license, so I’d better handle this one.” Cornelius con- tinues, “As you probably just heard—sorry about that—I’ve got a lot to handle here, what with a teenage daughter going to high school on the computer and a seriously ill wife.” Judge Ceres’s eyes moisten, as he thinks about the final days of his own wife. Not even 10 minutes ago, he looked at Cornelius as difficult. As an adversary, even. But Judge Ceres has finally heard the other side. Judge Wolf flickers into the bottom- right square, grinning from ear to ear, and fades to black. Now you understand, Marion.

Jonathan Safron’s tenure as a judicial law clerk for Lewis M. Nixon at the Circuit Court of Cook County included working at the Daley Center at the onset of the Covid-19

pandemic. He is currently an associate attor- ney at the Chicago office of Carlson Dash, LLC, where he works in the firm’s practice group for the law of business in construction and design.

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