Court was in session on Monday night at Rodeo in Crown Heights, where teams of investigative journalism fans squared off over their knowledge of Hell Gate and Type Investigation's deep dive into New York's broken courts system, Courts of Contempt.
Answering questions as difficult as naming which Queens judge made an immigrant reveal their immigration status in court against state policy (Kenneth Holder) or just how many Supreme Court judges are currently sitting in New York City (366), teams with names like "That's What She Seddio" and "AJAB (All Judges Are Bastards)" duked it out in a surprisingly competitive trial by trivia.
While everyone crushed both the opening and final rounds ("Know Your Courts" and "Know Your Brooklyn Democratic Party"), it was the second round ("Know Your Judges") that separated the mere dilettantes from the true investigative journalism-knowers, subjecting players to in-depth questions about the specific judges we profiled.
Did we put our players through more rigorous testing than many judges who end up on the New York City bench? It was probably pretty close!
But at the end of the night, one team emerged victorious—by a single point, Habeas Corpses took home the grand prize: a $150 gift certificate to Nick's Lobster House in Marine Park.
Besides the trials and tribulations, a very special moment took place at the beginning of the night, when former state judge Margarita López Torres made an appearance to give the answer to our trivia question about the outcome of the case she took all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, challenging New York's arcane and broken system for electing judges.
Thanks to all who played and came out to support investigative projects like the Courts of Contempt! And special thanks to bartender Liam, who kept the natural wine flowing all night.
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