August Musings Before we Shift Back into Busy Mode

Happy August! As the lazy, hazy days of summer continue I am reminded often of how much I cherish this season. Time with family and friends and a little time away from the courthouse are welcome diversions from the day-to-day routines I find myself falling into most of the year. I am also reminded just how difficult it is to come up with an interesting or compelling idea for a Docket article!

So rather than attempt to engage in some scholarly discussion of the law or some exciting courthouse news—and my coming columns will focus on our impending new case management system and what you should expect from its implementation—I will instead attempt to highlight some interesting historical events that have occurred during the month of August.

Did you know—or do you recall—that: August 1, 1981, was the date that MTV debuted. Coincidentally, that is the same day that Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley were married. That would make August 1 quite the significant date in pop culture. It is amazing to think about all of the cultural changes that have occurred as a direct or proximate result of the MTV launch. And

Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie . . . I have no words.

Keeping with the theme of cultural phenomena, American Bandstand was launched on August 5, 1957, which was also the date five years later when Marilyn Monroe was discovered dead in her bedroom. Coincidence?

August is also an extremely important month in music history. On August 6, 1965, the Beatles released the album “Help!” and then played in Shea Stadium on the 15th. The Beatles then played their final US concert at Candlestick Park on August 29, 1966. That same date in 1969 was the opening day of Woodstock, which ended on August 17. And for all of you Springsteen fans, “Born to Run” was released on August 25, 1975.

August is also the

BY CHIEF JUDGE MARK L. LEVITT

month when two of the most significant events affecting the United States’ presidency occurred. On August 8, 1974, Richard Nixon announced his resignation and on August 17, 1998, President Clinton acknowledged his “inappropriate relationship” with Monica Lewinsky. Certainly, these are events that forever changed the office of our chief executive.

On the world stage there can be no more impactful days than August 6, 9, and 10 in 1945. Those days mark the bombing of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the subsequent announcement by President Truman of Japanese surrender.

August also offers several dates in sporting history that are incredibly important. The first night game in the history of Wrigley Field did not occur on 8/8/1988, as it was scheduled to do. It rather occurred the next night because of a rainout. On August 9, 1936, Jesse Owens won his fourth gold medal at the Berlin Olympics. And on August 11, 1929, Babe Ruth became the first baseball player in history to hit 500 home runs!

For automobile aficionados August is a very significant month. The last

Packard was produced on August 19, 1958, while on August 22, 1902, the first Cadillac was produced.

By far one of the most significant August events in our history was August 28, 1963, when Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech.

I hope these snapshots gave you the opportunity to escape for a few minutes and look back on some of these historical events. September is right around the corner. And with the turning of the calendar page comes the inevitable return to more sensible Docket articles. This year, those articles will be one channel through which I hope to highlight our new case management system. That system will usher in a generational change in how we manage the operations of our justice system in Lake County. As with many new tools, the system will bring enormous opportunities, but also plenty of challenges in the coming months.

But more on that later. For now, thank you for indulging me, and enjoy summer!