"Hanging judge" is a colloquial phrase for a
judge who has gained notoriety for handing down punishment by sentencing convicted persons to death by
hanging, or otherwise imposing unusually harsh sentences. Hanging judges are officers of the court with mandates, as opposed to extralegal
lynch law.
Roman Kryże [
pl], Polish judge at communist political trials, including that of
Witold Pilecki[7] and the
Warsaw meat affair. His harsh rulings gave rise to the saying "Kryże is judging – there will be crosses" (
Polish: sądzi Kryże – będą krzyże).[8]
Justice Sir Francis Brittain in
Bruce Hamilton's 1949 novel Hanging Judge; the novel was adapted for the stage by
Raymond Massey in 1952, and
Boris Karloff played Justice Brittain in the BBC Radio adaptation of the play in 1953.[10]
Critic
Stanley Crouch's 1990 essay collection entitled Notes of a Hanging Judge
"Hanging judge" is a colloquial phrase for a
judge who has gained notoriety for handing down punishment by sentencing convicted persons to death by
hanging, or otherwise imposing unusually harsh sentences. Hanging judges are officers of the court with mandates, as opposed to extralegal
lynch law.
Roman Kryże [
pl], Polish judge at communist political trials, including that of
Witold Pilecki[7] and the
Warsaw meat affair. His harsh rulings gave rise to the saying "Kryże is judging – there will be crosses" (
Polish: sądzi Kryże – będą krzyże).[8]
Justice Sir Francis Brittain in
Bruce Hamilton's 1949 novel Hanging Judge; the novel was adapted for the stage by
Raymond Massey in 1952, and
Boris Karloff played Justice Brittain in the BBC Radio adaptation of the play in 1953.[10]
Critic
Stanley Crouch's 1990 essay collection entitled Notes of a Hanging Judge