Readers’ Forum Wednesday, March 10, 1999

Your Nov. 8 editorial regarding Judge Stephen Graham and his silencing of a Mill Valley attorney ("Your Honor, that was a forum, not a court") put a little scare into me for a couple of reasons.

The first is the act by itself by an elected judge who apparently does not understand the U.S. Constitution or does not take it seriously, and the second is the mild response by the IJ.

Citizens of this country, including Marin, believe and trust the press to raise a hue and cry over such tyrannical acts, and if the IJ is truly "committed to Marin’s future," I would hope that the commitment goes a little deeper that opinion-gathering.

As far as Judge Graham is concerned, I would hope that the California Bar, the American Civil Liberation Union, Amnesty International and a few other watchdog organizations might request the judge to read the U.S. Constitution and its amendments and, also, to make a public apology to Kenneth Schmier and the citizens of Marin.

It’s a bit of a stretch for you to chide Judge Stephen Graham for restoring order "in the courtroom" at Veterans Memorial Stadium on the evening of Oct. 28.

Judge Graham is one of Marin’s finest, deserving of you support. The rules were quite clear, and, in fact, the question had been answered earlier.

Too often, in our increasingly permissive society, those who like to throw their weight around manage to have it their own way.

Judge Graham deserves your apology.