Judge Beverly Grant of Pierce County, Washington, is a big Seahawks fan judging by her call for a "Go Seahawks!" cheer by everyone in the courtroom as she took the bench last Friday. When the first response was fairly tepid, she demanded that everyone try again.
That really set the stage for the proceeding to follow, a sentencing hearing in a manslaughter case. In addition to the muted cheers, the judge heard statements from prosecutors, defense attorneys and relatives, as well as an apology from the defendant (for the killing, not for the lame Seahawks cheer), before sentencing the defendant to 13 years in prison. Attorneys as well as family members objected that the cheer was inappropriate, and this week Judge Grant apologized for it.
She did not apologize for the Seahawks’ Super Bowl performance, however.