Hear Ye, Hear Ye

I had quite a legal learning experience at my clerkship the other day. I've really been trying, quite successfully, I think, to seize every opportunity that presents itself. So when boss asked if anyone wanted to see a foreclosure auction on the steps of a local courthouse, I was game!

I met Scott in front of the Clackamas County Courthouse around 2:45. He was standing with two women from the Oregon Humane Society and... that's it! We were the only ones there. Apparently this involved a lien on a dog. Basically, this abused/neglected dog was seized from its moronic owners and treated by the humane society which resulted in a net cost of $3400 (I think). So, the judge put in an order saying that the owners could only have the dog back when they paid that sum. And that's why we were there.

The stage was set!

When the clock struck 3:00, Scott stood on the courthouse steps, with his audience of three below, and read the order and opened the bidding to purchase the dog. Granted, no one was really listening but us. Essentially, the Humane Society had their bid in by nature of their already incurred debt. They had rehabbed the dog, Rambo, and already had an adopter lined up. This was really just a matter of procedure. But it was still a suspenseful 15 minutes while I waited for a beat-up pick-up truck to come screeching around the corner, pull to an abrupt stop in front of the courthouse, and have the owner jump out yelling, "Stop! Stop! I want my dog!"

Luckily, that didn't happen. Especially luckily because Scott showed me the photos of the dog when he was rescued. FOUR collars embedded in his neck, one was an electric shock collar, and the studs had gouged holes through the raw flesh. No way does this guy need to be within 1,000 feet of an animal ever again. So without further ado, Rambo was "bought" and on his way to a much happier ending. Strange, but beneficial to us, Oregon procedure.

On the way back to my car, I saw this really amusing cafe right across from the courthouse:

The Verdict Bar & Grill

Menu categories: Opening Statements, Lighter Sentence... harhar!

And I am pretty sure this is an elevator to take you to the buildings above. Weird! And I could be completely wrong.