Yesterday, we were waiting for all the criminal trial attorneys to arrive so that we can address a written question the deliberating jurors had sent out. I started to tell the DA the gist of the question, and the judge (who was sitting on the bench) stopped me and said, “Actually, Mr. [Private Defense Counsel] hasn’t heard the question yet, so let’s hold off until he gets here. Just in the parody of fairness.”

Parody of fairness, I mused. How interesting that the judge would mock himself like that.

The judge glanced at me silently from the bench, then said, “Cindy, that’s P-A-R-I-T-Y, not P-A-R-O-D-Y.”

Oh! That changes everything! To the exact opposite meaning. “I was actually thinking P-A-R-O-D-Y,” I said, laughing.

“I know you were,” the judge said. Man, I’m not sure if it’s a good thing that people can read me that easily.