Crook Thomas' Gifts in Perspective

[kairos12]

I was stationed on a military base that provided official assistance to a very high end Hollywood movie. All went well. At the end the crew of the movie sent the military liaison office that helped them some commemorative souvenirs about the movie. These were nice, but really just knick-knacks.

Our JAG (legal) office said we couldn't accept them and were promptly returned.

I guess we should have held out for the yachts and jets.

[UpInArms]

1. More perspective found here

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2023/03/23/gwyneth-paltrow-ski-trial-request-to-give-bailiffs-treats-denied/11529121002/

Gwyneth Paltrow's security wanted to extend their gratitude to courtroom bailiffs during her Utah ski collision trial.

Prior to testimony Thursday in Paltrow's trial, the actress and Goop founder's attorney Steve Owens made a request to share "treats" with the courtroom staff.

"I want to do this transparently… Private security for my client wanted to bring in treats for the bailiffs for how helpful they've been," Owens said before Judge Kent Holmberg.

… snip …

Sanderson's legal counsel objected to Owens' motion to bring in treats for the bailiffs.

"Ok, there's an objection so thank you, but no thank you," Judge Holmberg said, adding, "If the parties decide to do that later, that's fine, too."

Sanderson's attorneys admonished Paltrow's lawyer for the offer. "You should've asked us first frankly. … (Owens) just sprung it on us now."

It's unclear what treats were being offered, but the "Shakespeare in Love" actress has many offered on her lifestyle website Goop or her cookbooks, including "The Clean Plate: Eat, Reset, Heal" and "It's All Good."

She was not allowed to give the bailiffs any treats … just something to even eat.

[IbogaProject]

2. That was the wrong timing

Her team should have done that after the case was finished, timing tricky if they were fresh treats.

[rsdsharp]

3. For years, many attorneys around here would go to the clerk of courts office on Christmas Eve

and drop off gifts for their help and hard work during the year. The gifts were usually food or booze. These were to the clerks whose jobs were to accept and file documents in court cases; not to the judges, mind you, and not even to their courtroom attendants. The new chief judge decided that was a problem and put a stop to it.

Years ago I was a music director at a lowly rated medium market FM radio station. One day, out of the blue, I received 4 etched old fashioned glasses from RCA; one of the glasses had broken in transit. The station manager declared they were “payola” and told me I couldn’t keep them. He didn’t tell me to send them back, just that I couldn’t keep them. I told him if he thought I could be bribed with four (three really) cheap glasses, he should fire me now, and took them home.