The Judge Who Required Lawyers to Call Each Other "Doctor" in Court

Reprimanded by the Texas judicial authorities for that, it turns out (thanks to Bill Dyer for pointing this out). From the Texas Monthly (1982):

State district judge Jerry McAfee of Houston was publicly reprimanded by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct for issuing courtroom rules requiring attorneys to address each other as "Doctor."

Comments

[Sigivald]

"But the Juris Doctor is a doctorate! How can they be so disrespectful to each-other as to not call someone with a doctorate Doctor in an official context?!"

("Because this is America, and outside of Academia only Medical Doctors get called Doctor. Go to Germany or stay on campus if you want to be called Doctor with any other doctorate.")

[Jaypd]

Remember that one time when Prof Volokh was this well known first amendment scholar who cared about free speech, and then he apparently lost it over a stupid WSJ article and spent all his time trying to get views by writing insipid short bits about who should be called doctor- as if that wasn't antithetical to his entire life's work?

"Integrity, once lost, cannot be retrieved." - Volokh, probably, and his pointlessly shat all over his reputation.

[Just Eric]

No idea what you are kvetching about, but this story amused me, and I thank Mr. Volokh for posting!

[Roman Moroni]

Oh yeah, how will his reputation in the legal community ever recover from him occasionally blogging about topics that interest him?

I’ll admit you’ve got me curious about what you’re backstory must be to have had your feelings hurt so horribly by EV’s opinions on this story.

What tender nerve on you did he strike?

[Hank Ferrous]

A man who measures his worth by the yardstick of random negative comments is a man who has little to live for. This is true for Prof V. You on the the other hand, may want to consider your habit of comments that don't add to the discussion. This story is timely, and interesting, your comment is neither.

[Sidney r finkel]

The point being . . . . .????

At a time when the very concept of American democracy is under attack by an unpatriotic President and major party, should not this very important forum address more serious issues?

[DaivdBehar]

Hi, Syd, Stop your Chinese Communist Party inspired talking points.

[Duck916]

I love this argument. It's used in another context quite frequently.

"Why should the cops ticket me for illegal parking when there are unsolved murders?"

The argument is, in a nutshell, that no one should address anything until ISSUE NUMBER ONE is resolved. Then we move on to ISSUE NUMBER TWO and so on.

It's a specious argument seeking avoidance of a topic.

[DaivdBehar]

I would have required them to call each other, Asshole.

[MatthewSlyfield]

They should stop calling each other and meet face to face.

[Sasha Volokh]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UZWfMgjqAs

[Intelligent Mr Toad]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm7HQ-EzZEY&t=2m57s

[The Turtle Dove]

Opened the comments for the sole purpose of posting that.

Mr. D.

[Intelligent Mr Toad]

"Doctor" was at one time the normal title for a lawyer. Here's a scene from an opera (in Italian) where a lawyer's client calls him "Dottore mio" ("My Doctor") as he promises to represent her in court pro bono; the libretto also identifies him as "Doctor":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IugFH6PxeMQ&t=15m14s

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

That Texas Monthly link is incredible.

Also yeah only a medical doctor should be called doctor.