Judge Callisto’s viewpoint seemed to shift with each response. Nia was relieved to see a guy whose eyes held a touch of empathy and understanding, instead of the inflexible and uncompromising judge she had heard so much about. At last, he accomplished something that surprised everyone.
Judge Callisto completely defied convention by addressing Maya directly, and asking, Well, Maya, since your mommy broke the parking rule, what do you think her punishment should be? The crowd in the courtroom held their breath. This was unprecedented in the court of the judge. Nia’s stunned eyes grew wider.
Did the judge really think that a six-year-old had an opinion? However, Maya seemed unfazed by the unexpected inquiry. Rather, she shot the judge a sympathetic glance. She told him that he was a capable judge and that he ought to make the decision.
This time, there was actual laughter from everyone, the first that anyone could recall in that courtroom. Not even Judge Callisto could suppress a smile. In the often hostile courtroom, it appeared that Maya’s candor and innocence had disarmed him.
The judge would then decide, what though? Everyone was waiting anxiously for his reply. Judge Callisto reclined in his chair, seemingly deep in thought. The brief break was then abruptly announced by him raising his hand.
The judge called for the bailiff as everyone got to their feet. The judge leaned in and gave some directions in a whisper as the bailiff got closer to the bench. The bailiff nodded and left through a side door a little later.
Murmurs of confusion buzzed through the courtroom. What did the judge intend to do? The bailiff was carrying a brown paper bag when he came back. The judge grabbed it from him and gave it to Maya while grinning.
You’re welcome, young lady, he stated. Gently, he informed her that they had to tend to her rumbling stomach before the court could wait. Juice boxes and sandwiches were nicely packaged within the bag.
Maya’s smile stretched over her face as her eyes grew wide with joy. Nia was flooded with feelings. She never imagined that a courtroom would be the forum for such civility.
In the circumstances they were in now, even a tiny gesture like this meant a great deal. The judge recalled the case to session after the unplanned food break. But everything felt different.
Rather than making his typical snap decisions, Judge Callisto looked over Nia’s case carefully. He found out that her driving record was clean and her legal background was impeccable. Actually, after nine years, this was Nia’s only parking infraction.
The judge then turned to face Nia and delivered his ruling and everyone gasped at what he did next. He chose to dismiss the ticket after looking over the information and taking her prior behavior into account. Everyone in the courtroom started applauding.
It truly was a day of firsts today. Relief flooded Nia’s heart as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. The judge wasn’t done, but this was far more than she could have imagined.