Jim, did you write this?
The guy is a judge.. we may disagree on some of his decisions, but ridiculing him by playing with his name (MisGuided) is just too middle school. The Sun should be above that.

On the DeJesus issue, from the judge's point of view, I bet that he was just figuring that its costing a lot more that 250.00 every time she comes in asking for a delay.. so he just wanted to get rid of her. Putting her to a little shame along the way was good enough for me. When she actually comes to court for the criminal and/or civil issues (and she eventually will.. she seems the type).. she'll not be treated easily.. I hope.

The backlog at these courts is incredible. Every case and hearing they can get rid of (with little impact on society) improves justice for the rest of us.

And as to the puppy thing, yeah it was wrong. But bail was set (personal recognizance?, I thought you guys said it was $500), and he will have his day in court.

Personally, I get angry at all the people who care so much about what happens to a puppy or kitty, while they watch the neighbor's pre-school age children wander the streets at night, or get beaten.. burned.. raped..

I'm just too busy to care much about the animal abuse, except that it is often a symptom of deeper problems that tend to lead towards child and domestic abuse.

Just another example of liberals run amock. And another reason why people are migrating away from Massachusetts and to more conservative states in droves. In 20-years, liberals will own Mass, NY and California while the sane world inhabits the rest of the country. Count this lifelong Lowellian as someone soon to browse the housing market elsewhere.

Hang The Judge, I feel your pain but I'm no quitter. I'm going to stick around, keep my nose out of trouble, and watch how this plays out. Massachusetts may not be the gem it once was, but I still believe that its people are good, talented and rready to fight back. I hope something cataclysmic doesn't have to happen for us to wake up. Maybe it'll be the election, but I doubt it. None of the candidates are strong leaders. We need a Tsongas, or a Jack Kennedy type to emerge to rescue us from the legislative mediocrity now running the show. My guess is that they are out there, but will they come forward? Or move to North Carolina? I say stick around for a few more laughs.

Shawn, first of all a respected member of the court shouldn't demean a human being or diminish the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance.. Judge MIsGuided did both. The woman has a 10th grade education.. What he did was make fun of her in open court. Yes, she's been a problem and deserves to be given justice. But the judge used poor judgment in exercising his discretion to impose a civil fine. Plus, when she failed to recite the pledge, he failed to honor what he had set as the judgment for freedom. He was wrong on both counts. I don't mind giving someone a break, but I do mind it when a judge is irresponsible in the way he does it.
As for the dog abuser, it was shocking. A 20-year-old who has the bad sense to slice off a pet's ears with a jagged scissor deserves a harsher penalty than $500 bail. He didn't even sit in a jail cell for an hour! Once again, this sets a poor example for anyone who tries to promote civil society and values. Judge MisGuided is too soft a term for McGuinness. If this weren't a family blog, I'd be much more pointed in my observations. When I think of a judge who I deeply respected for his years of service to the people of Mass., I think of Judge Robert Barton, now retired. His nickname was "Black Bart," not because people feared him for his punishments but because they respected his courtroom demeanor and decisions. He didn't turn the courtroom into a carnival. And he didn't piss on the Pledge or people.

as to the idiot dog abuser..
It was an arraignment, wasnt it? The purpose of bail is to determine whether the perpetrator is a probable danger to the community and/or a flight risk.
Obviously, the judge determined the guy will not run (I don't know the facts there.. ties to the community? family? etc), and is not apt to be a danger (after last night, I think we can agree there are more dangerous criminals to put into our limited number of beds).

This guy is supposed to get his punishment at trial, not arraignment. Bail is not a penalty, its more like a deposit thats non-refundable if the guy doesnt show up.

First of all, for some reason (the dog incident) the government seems to think that animals are property. So because of that, people get minimal fines on this. It ridiculous. As for the judge, maybe his age is a factor. As we age we turn one of two ways, either you become bitter and grumpy or you become soft-hearted. A judge with either of these qualities is going to be a problem. I've seen judges do things like this before. It's not a first. When his competency becomes any issue, as with any personal morals, then this NEEDS to be delt with. I don't agree with his decision either, but he has been a judge for a long time and most people are afraid to question his authority. I say question it!
Furthermore, Jim is right. The judge was VERY demeaning to this woman. He seems to have a very smug look on his face. Two people from the same generation can have different views on whats right, I surely don't share the same views as this guy! And I'm the same age! If he wants to be soft hearted, do it with the grand-kids NOT the public.

This is another reason for getting rid of life time appointments for judges. I am not sure electing them is the answer. Howeverwe have to have some sort of review, to just put a person on as a judge for life without a review process is crazy. I understand that there is some sort of process to get rid of a bad judge, however I also understand you have about as much chance as getting rid of a bad teacher who belongs to almighty MTA union

this man is no liberal, trust me