From: kenneth ditkowsky
Sent: Jul 10, 2014 2:33 PM
To: “J. Ditkowsky” , Nasga Us , Tim NASGA , Probate Sharks , “JoAnne M. Denison” , Harry Heckert , Deborah Ditkowsky , “Dr. Ditkowsky PHD” , Ben & Madi Ditkowsky , BILL DITKOWSKY , Naomi Chambers
Subject: The court house

The World we do not see

When the Daley Center f/k/a the Civic Center was being build many of us watched the progress of the rusty old structure that was being built adjacent to the County Building. We wondered if the pile of beams going up with a great deal of noise and dust would stand the test of time, and speculated that considering the political corruption maybe ****.
On a hot Thursday in a Court room at the County Building in 1968 we were not speculating as to the noise of the girders and the riveters. We had an injunction law suit to adjudicate and as one of the lawyers I was called to the courtroom to present my client’s case. The courtroom was square in shape with the high ceiling, and at the North end there was an elevated desk that housed an elderly and dignified man wearing a robe. His name was John Lupe and he was a Circuit Court judge.
Adjacent on each side of the desk were two large tables and a bunch of chairs that had wheels attached to their bottoms. The balance of the room was occupied by uncomfortable wood benches. At each corner of the room was a very large noisy fan, turned full on so that it could make as much noise as possible and move air around the room.
A clerk called the assembly to order, and the Judge (the old man at the desk) invited each of the attorneys to remove his jacket. I started to strip, but noticed my opponent kept his jacket and tie in their proper place. With a groan I said something that I was certain neither the judge or my opponent could hear.
We then approached the bench, and the first witness was placed in the box. The court reporter sat as close to him as she dared as she had the job to provide an accurate transcript. The witness was questioned and he ran through his direct examination as if he expected someone to hear the words he was saying. I was certain that the Judge heard nothing and intended to rely upon the transcript to find out what if anything was taking place in his courtroom. However, I and my opponent huddled close to the witness to garner each pearl of wisdom he uttered.
For an hour the direct examination dragged on, with me complaining after every third question that the witness did not talk loud enough. The court reporter echoed my complaint and the proceedings droned on. Finally my opponent, Lester Foreman lost patience and screamed at his client: “SPEAK UP DAMN IT!” Judge Lupe smiled as I handed Lester a book and told him slam it down on a hard surface that might get the attention of the witness. When Lester cupped his hand over his ear indicating that he had no hear me, I laughed and took out a book a whacked it against the desk.
At the very instant, the entire structure being erected across the street collapsed with a loud noise! For a second there was dead silence and then the air filled with sirens, shouts and general bedlam! We all rushed to window and noted that where there had been four stories of metal pilings stacked together there was flat earth. Judge Lupe, looked at Foreman and myself and said, Ditkowsky I wish you would be a little less dramatic with trying to get the attention of the witness; however, my clerk will call you to inform you of our next meeting.
Today, that structure is the Daley Center and it houses the Circuit Court of Cook County. It is a movie star. The car crash scenes in the movie “Blues Brothers” immortalized the building forever as well as its cousin the Thompson Center. The only surprise is the fact that the building has not rusted away or fallen down of its accord. We thought for a while it was self destructing when windows kept falling out, but that problem has been solved and today it stands tall as a monument to *****.
There were no bricks used in building this structure and its walls are all glass. I guess they did not use bricks and mortar as the architects were aware of the proposed usage and the individuals who would earn their daily bread therein.
Ken Ditkowsky
http://www.ditkowskylawoffice.com/