My grandfather was a judge and I have the hammer he used for most of his career. He must have beaten him at least a thousand times. Why do judges use a hammer? Is it just a Hollywood movie or is it set in real life? If it is the latter, what is the story behind this tradition? The ceremonial hammer is called a hammer and usually looks like this: @yseult – To add to your comment, I think the hammer has more than utilitarian and symbolic purposes, but also deserves respect. Let us not forget that the judge has power in a courtroom and has the right to demand a certain degree of respect and obedience. I was impressed by the power that the judge had over all these people. It was as if he had to hit that hammer harder and harder so as not to lose control of the courtroom. Don`t worry, we`re kidding – everyone knows Wonderopolis is anything but neat. But if this opening sounds familiar, imagine a judge banging a small hammer on a piece of wood and shouting, “Command the court!” I sat in a courtroom while my friend`s rapist was on trial. When he admitted what he had done to her and described it in detail, her husband erupted in anger and threats. The judge immediately took the hammer and hit him, and he quickly calmed down. Everyone became silent and you could hear a cricket song. Over the centuries, the wooden hammer became known as the hammer, but not all hammers are shaped like a hammer.
In fact, the U.S. Senate uses a handleless hourglass-shaped hammer in its daily routines. This oddly shaped ivory-colored hammer became common around 1789. Over the next 165 years, this historic hammer slowly deteriorated after the sustained blows it had to endure. Attempts were made to preserve it, but during the 1954 session of the Senate, it eventually broke. The Republic of India offered a replacement, and the new replica of the original was used for the first time on November 17, 1954. The original hammers and new hammers are now stored in a mahogany box. Because of their historical significance, hammers are fixed to the adjournment of a session of the Senate. The extraordinary and irreplaceable hammer set is kept in the Sergeant-at-Arms` office for safe storage.
I remember watching court scenes on television, like Perry Mason.The trial was almost always a murder trial. At some point in almost every episode, usually when the killer was someone other than the accused, the silent courtroom burst into chaos. The judge had to bang his hammer several times and say “court order” for this to continue. However, movies and court dramas have given many people the wrong impression. Contrary to popular belief, judges do not use hammers too often. They are more likely to use their voice to calm a room. The hammer is such a recognizable symbol that even children incorporate it into their playtime. When I was eight years old, my friends and I organized show trials, and we used a homemade hammer. For a more traditional look, we offer you our Rosewood Gavel Award (article #GV138). This beautiful hammer set comes with a 10-inch wooden hammer and a matching 12-inch base. Both are finished in a glossy rosewood finish. The base sits on gold bumper pads and features a gold engraving plate matching the shiny gold band around the hammer`s head.
This conventional award is a great gift for anyone leading a group. Sometimes in a court, when used, it is exercised by the bailiff (a judicial officer responsible for maintaining order in the court and supervising the jury), who often acts as a trainee lawyer or administrative assistant to the judge rather than the judge. The bailiff is also the person who shouts “lift everything” when the judge enters the room at the beginning of a hearing and when the judge leaves at the end of a hearing. In rural areas, the bailiff is usually armed. In urban areas, the county sheriff usually provides court security, and the bailiff only maintains court rules ceremonially. This is a very old tradition in the common law tradition, dating back to the days when English Lords personally directed disputes between their subjects before the specialized position of judge was invented, and has been used throughout most of U.S. history, even since colonial times. I do not know whether hammers are used outside the common law legal tradition or not. We pulled straws to see who could be judged that day. We all loved being judges, especially because we liked to hit the hammer. We used it like in real life to start and end a trial and bring order to a chaotic courtroom.
Judges are not the only ones using hammers. They are common in governments, large and small, where they are used to bring order to the often unruly spaces where government takes place. But they are also a sign of who is responsible.
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