Judge Holly Hollenbeck

Judge Holly Hollenbeck is upset that he's being vilified.

Poor Hollenbeck.

He wants everyone to know that he's been affected personally by the uproar.

Poor, poor Hollenbeck.

From the Tri-City Herald:

A Benton County judge has apologized for telling a woman with cancer to take a knitted cap off her bald head or leave his courtroom.

"Words can't express how sorry I am," Judge Holly Hollenbeck told the Herald on Monday, a few hours after he spoke with Bev Williams by phone and offered an unconditional apology.

Williams, 43, said the District Court judge told her the no-hat rule would no longer apply in his courtroom, but that his apology had nothing to do with the criticism he had drawn for his comments to her on Friday.

Williams, who lost her hair after enduring six months of chemotherapy, was in court to give moral support to her teenage daughter, who was facing a misdemeanor charge. Hollenbeck insisted the Kennewick woman remove her hat or leave. Williams chose to leave, crying as she left the courtroom, which had 60 people in it.

Even after Hollenbeck was told later the reason for Williams' headgear, he refused to change his order.

This judge has terrible judgment.

"Even after Hollenbeck was told later the reason for Williams' headgear, he refused to change his order."

This wasn't a misunderstanding. Hollenbeck knew what he was doing.

...Hollenbeck said Friday that he felt the no-hat rule was appropriate and necessary to ensure respect for court proceedings and the judge.

But on Monday, he said even as he made those statements that he knew he would apologize to Williams.

"I didn't want to do it in the newspaper, so I didn't apologize until I could find her," he said.

That had to wait until Monday when he could track down her cell phone number.

"This has affected me personally," Hollenbeck said, admitting it could hurt him politically as well in the next election.

Hollenbeck, who is presiding judge for the District Court, said each judge retains discretion on how to enforce rules about hats and appropriate attire in court.

"The rule has been changed (in my court)," he said.

What a load! Excuses, excuses!

Too little, too late.

Hollenbeck should pay a price for this incident. He's shown that he lacks the discretion a judge should have.

Hollenbeck is about Hollenbeck.

A judge's ego should not rule in court.