He taketh up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the needy out of the mire;
That he may set him with the princes, even with the princes of his people.
psalm 113

Behold the poor trucker, plucked off the dusty highways of Canada and set down a civil servant beside judges who can send a person to jail for life...

These Honourable Justices make about a quarter million bucks a year but I don't envy their job. Gotta be exceedingly difficult sitting there day after day and pronouncing judgement on people's personal tragedies. On the other hand, I'm sure there's many times when they can make a difference.

Like for the young lady who drove 8 hours to plead for emergency custody of her estranged kids now hidden from her ex at a safe house. The judge granted her plea -- and wrote an endorsement telling the police to help her find the kids.

Then there's matters that turn everybody's stomach. Recorded the ugly civil case of a divorcing couple after 45 years of marriage, the family split and taken sides, the spectacle of Mom on the stand being grilled by her son, representing Dad, with endless questions about personal finances. A brief shoving match between relatives before the trial started. They had to bring in the fuzz to keep order. Damned ugly. The wizened old court clerk (a retired cop and private dick) said it was the worst he's ever seen. "That's one family reunion I don't wanna be at!" he cackled over a bowl of soup at lunch.

On Monday I drove truck in the city. Delivery right next to the courthouse. Dragging freight off the tailgate, I gazed up at the ivory tower and pondered the mysterious providence that had given a trucker this close-up view of the Canadian justice system.