JUDGE (2000 AD)

:''Not to be confused with the real-world office of judge.''

'Judge' (or 'street judge') is a title held by several significant characters in the ''Judge Dredd'' series, which appears in the British comic ''2000 AD''. In the fictional future history of the series, the role of "Judge" combines those of judge and police officer, thus avoiding long legal wrangles by allowing for criminals to be tried and sentenced on the spot. Since they overthrew the US Constitution in 2070 they have also held supreme political power.

Contents

Overview

Training

History

Dark Judges

Judges

Chief Judges

Other notable judges

Dark Judges

See also

References

Overview

Judges are the product of many years' training and psychological conditioning. Training, which takes place in the Academy of Law, generally begins at age five.^[1] The Judges recruit promising children, and grow their own clones. Judge Dredd is himself one of the clones of the Judges' founder, Chief Judge Fargo.^[2]
The Judges themselves are not above the law – a violation that would earn a citizen a few months in an Iso-Cube would get a Judge a twenty-year sentence, to be served as hard labor on Saturn's moon, Titan, after surgical modification to enable the convict to survive in Titan's atmosphere without needing an expensive space suit.^[3]
The Judges are led by a Chief Judge and a Council of Five.^[4] The Judges have their own domestic intelligence division (the Public Surveillance Unit),^[5] and their own medical facilities. There are a number of specialist divisions within the Judges, notably Psi Division, which consists of psychic judges used to predict the future and read minds, and Tek Division, made up of forensic scientists and engineers. The SJS (Special Judicial Squad) monitor and police the Judges internally.^[4]
In the ''Judge Dredd'' future history, the Judge System originated in the United States (see History of Mega-City One), but spread to other countries around the world. In most of these nations the Judges are not only responsible for law enforcement but also control all aspects of the government. Of course, not all of these different Justice Departments are identical to the Mega-City One Judges. The Judges of Ireland, for example, are not only allowed to drink and smoke, they are also allowed to get married,^[7] whereas MC-1 Judges are prohibited from having love lives and have virtually no private lives of their own.^[8] Corruption is endemic amongst the Judges of Brit-Cit, and bribery is often essential to progress through the ranks of what is, compared to Mega-City's Judge system, little more than an authorized militia- or protection racket.^[9]
Judges in Mega-City One also hear civil cases in block courts. These are courts in each City Block, where judges are assigned to try civil cases, such as compensation claims, libel, slander, divorce, alimony and small claims matters.^[10]
Notable Judges appearing in the series include Judge Anderson (of Psi Division), Judge Hershey, Judge Kraken, Judge Giant and the eponymous Judge Dredd.

Training

Before becoming fully fledged street judges, 'cadet judges' usually must serve 15 years (or, exceptionally, 13 years for fast-tracked cadets)^[11] at the Academy of Law where they will receive the intensive training and conditioning that will enable them to enforce law and order in the chaotic and confusing place that is twenty second century Mega-City One.
A cadet is inducted into the Academy either as a cloned infant (as was the case with Judge Dredd),^[2] or as a child aged five (although in exceptional cases older children have been recruited). After this the Academy is the recruit's entire world; unsupervised contact with the city outside is forbidden under any circumstances in order to maintain the strictest discipline and mental conditioning.^[13]
On graduating from the Academy, cadets become known as 'rookie judges', and wear a uniform similar to that of full judges, except that they wear white helmets instead of black and red ones, and their badges consist of only one half of a full judge's badge and do not have their names on them^[14] (see illustration, ''right''). (Note however that some artists have depicted cadets in rookies' uniforms.)
Before becoming a full judge, a rookie must undergo assessment by a more experienced Senior Judge in order to gauge their suitability and competence. The failure rate is extremely high, with no second chances allowed. The few who pass their Final Assessment exchange their white helmet and "half-eagle" for the black helmet and "full eagle" at a brief ceremony before the chief judge.^[14]
Notable characters who have been seen taking their final assessments are the original Judge Giant, the other Judge Giant, Judge Rico, Judge Kraken, and Dredd himself (in flashbacks).

History

The Judge System was created by Eustace Fargo, special government prosecutor for street crime, between 2027 and 2031, to combat a rising tide of violent crime and to speed up the process of justice. While there was heavy protest in Congress over the idea of abandoning due process, the electorate was in favour and President Gurney (who supported Fargo's plan) was re-elected with a massive majority.^[16] The original uniforms heavily resembled that of normal American police officers, albeit with helmets and heavy body armour, and drove Lawranger motorcycles.
Following the Third World War of 2070 the Judges overthrew the Government of the United States and seized power, with popular support, and the chief judge became the country's ruler. The Judicial model (which can be broadly defined as a form of krytocracy) has subsequently spread throughout the globe becoming the most common form of government on Earth by the 22nd century.^[17]

Dark Judges

The Dark Judges are undead creatures from an alternative reality. Because all crime is committed by the living, they have concluded that life is a crime and the punishment they have decreed is death. They travel through different realities delivering their justice. As they do not live and cannot die, they therefore are not guilty. Their leader, Judge Death, is Judge Dredd's arch-enemy.

Judges

Chief Judges

★ Judge Fargo

★ Judge Solomon

★ Judge Goodman

★ Judge Cal

★ Judge Griffin

★ Judge McGruder

★ Judge Silver

★ Judge McGruder (again)

★ Judge Volt

★ Judge Hershey

Other notable judges

★ Judge Joe Dredd

★ Former judge Rico Dredd

★ Judge Rico

★ Judge Anderson

★ Judge Buell

★ Former judge Galen DeMarco

★ Judge Edgar

★ Judge Giant sr

★ Judge Giant

★ Judge Grice

★ Judge Guthrie

★ Judge Janus

★ Judge Kraken

★ Judge Niles

★ Judge Shenker

Dark Judges

★ Judge Death

★ Judge Fear

★ Judge Fire

★ Judge Mortis

See also

★ List of minor characters in Judge Dredd, which contains details of other Judges.

★ Krytocracy, the system of government run by judges

References

1. ''2000 AD'' prog 522
2. ''2000 AD'' prog 552
3. ''2000 AD'' prog 30
4. ''2000 AD'' prog 86
5. ''2000 AD'' prog 959
6. ''2000 AD'' prog 86
7. ''2000 AD'' progs 727-732
8. ''2000 AD'' progs 461-463, 755
9. "Judge Dredd: Deathmasques," Dave Stone, 1993. ISBN 0352328738
10. ''2000 AD'' prog 1284
11. ''2000 AD'' prog 750
12. ''2000 AD'' prog 552
13. ''2000 AD'' prog 121
14. ''2000 AD'' prog 27
15. ''2000 AD'' prog 27
16. ''2000 AD'' prog 1510
17. ''2000 AD'' prog 68