Given a chance to choose courtroom art, at least one judge opted for basset hounds
When Judge Kathleen Delaney isn’t on the bench, helping to find new homes for unwanted hounds as president of the the Las Vegas Basset Rescue is one of her interests.
So when Delaney, like her colleagues on the bench in the Clark County Regional Justice Center, was given a chance to choose what art to hang on the walls of her Nevada courtroom, she opted for professional photos of the sad-looking, droopy-eared dogs. All are rescued animals, Delaney tells the Las Vegas Sun. She also chose a green robe, in honor of her Irish heritage.
No one said much about the basset hound portraits when she had a civil court call, Delaney says. But now that she oversees criminal cases, there have been some questions about whether the basset hound photos are somber enough for the setting, the newspaper reports.
Delaney says she always explains the photos and the green robe to juries, and believes they don’t detract from the court’s business. Meanwhile, they make her happy.
“I think people tend to forget that it’s there when the serious business is going on,” she said of her court decor. “I think what matters is the seriousness of whatever is going on in the courtroom.”
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Judge dons fairy godmother costume to finalize adoptions on Halloween”
