- "I never broke the law! I AM the Law!"
- ―Judge Joseph Dredd
Judge | |
Classification: | Occupation |
Associated franchises: | Judge Dredd |
Associated comics: | Daredevil Vol 1 Vigilante Vol 1 |
Character examples: | Adrian Chase; Joseph Dredd |
Related articles: | Bailiff; Lawyer |
A judge is a person who officiates and/or presides over a legal trial, tribunal or hearing. They are known for wearing black robes, banging a gavel and shouting, "Order! Order in the court!" Another popular phrase frequently intoned by judges is, "Has the jury reached a verdict". For some reason, judges in film seem to run short on patience and are only too quick to find someone in contempt of court; particularly when they are faced with some hotshot lawyer who enjoys the limelight a little too much and makes a habit of grandstanding.
In one future reality, judges are actually licensed law-enforcement officers that patrol the streets of a metropolitan city called Mega City-1 and have the authority to carry out summary execution of a suspected criminal on site. Of the Mega City judges, the most infamous example is one Joseph Dredd, whose stoic demeanor and husky voice is frequently known to intone the phrase, "I am the law!"