Judge’s straight talk was not out of line

I see Superior Court Judge Joe Wilson made news again for using foul language in his courtroom (“Sentence tossed after judge swore, showed man ‘animosity,’” The Herald, Feb. 26).

I met Wilson over twenty years ago, when he was in private practice. I met him a couple of years ago at a large fundraiser event for domestic violence. This is a man who gave up a private practice to serve the community. Based on my experience, he took a good pay cut to do so.

I have respected this man since I met him, and still do. Walk in his shoes and you may better understand why he sometimes speaks tough, straight and communicates in a way that only criminals would understand. Street/straight talk is appropriate sometimes.

Two instances do not represent any statistical basis for criticism. I would submit I am not alone in my support for effective and truthful commentary to criminals and “animals.”

It would be productive if Judge Wilson could have similar, honest and frank discussions with the Catholic clergy, on the wrongfulness of sexual abuse and its cover-up. By the way, our dictator in chief has and continues to communicate much worse-using words of insult, beratement, division, lies, hatred, and racism that would rate as R-17, or worse, in the theatrical world. Irony and hypocrisy, simultaneously. You go, Joe.

Rob Dietz

Arlington