Meehan v. Gulf Oil Corp.

DUMBAULD, District Judge.

Even during argument on appeal counsel in this case spent much of their time in ad hominem, altercation and wrangling of the sort characterized by the trial judge as “arguments involving personalities” (R. 228a), rather than in dealing with the actual issues involved. A fortiori there is abundant chaff reflecting similar acrimony in the 639 pages of the trial record which has been printed on appeal. While a certain amount of contentiousness is perhaps wholesome, or at least inevitable, and advocates must necessarily to some extent convert the courtroom into an arena…