As I was juggling the Redd story, a weekend about cyber crime (stay tuned for that one) and a forthcoming piece on a woman stabbed in North Hollywood with some tricky legal issues involved, my cell phone buzzed. The verdict was in on Williamson and Williamson case. I wrapped up and ran to the courthouse.

And then, after all the excitement, I found a courtroom empty of jurors, defendants or lawyers. Just Judge Coen, out of his robe, the bailiffs, clerk and recorder. They were shooting the breeze and watching the clock.

The phone rang.

“Hello, Mr. Grimes,” the clerk said. “Traffic, huh? How bad? The San Bernardino Freeway? Ewww….”

And the grimaces went ‘round the courtroom. Mark S. Shapiro was stuck in Compton, as well, so Coen called back the jurors and reluctantly asked them to seal the verdict. They’d be back yet again, 9 a.m., Monday morning.

“But,” he said, with a wry smile. “I guarantee you will be paid for the entire day.”

They groaned, thanked him and agreed to return once more.