Judge Robert C. Coates Shares True Stories of People With Mentally Disabled Who Appeared in His Courtroom

Judge Robert C. Coates knows a thing or two about mental illness. He himself suffered a serious mental breakdown while in law school but bounced back to graduate with his class and pass the California Bar Exam – on his first try. Later, as attorney, he represented hundreds of cases of mentally ill persons, and, as a judge, handled cases involving mental disorder referred to him by presiding judges.
 
Judge Coates’ experiences, plus his fascination with the human mind, drove him to publish a collection of short stories, in titled “Crazy People in Court” (Dog Ear; 2016). Told with a sense of humor, the book presents some of the author’s most memorable cases as a lawyer and judge. The unusual personalities include a Sergeant Major Ninja, a Schizophrenic Nurse, a Pathological Liar, and many other odd people who appeared in Judge Coates’ courtroom and played their part in the courtroom drama.
 
But while readers will be amused by the anecdotes shared by Judge Coates in “Crazy People in Court,” they will come to terms with the magnitude of mental illness in state, local, and federal custody. The book not only reveals the wide variety of mental issues in courts but also initiates and supports conversations about mental health.
 
Peek into the mind of the mentally challenged individuals who showed up at court – and of the judge who witnessed and enjoyed their madness, while he figured out constructive things the court could do about it. Judge Robert C. Coates’ “Crazy People in Court” is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
 
This book is unique in that it presents its stories from the Judges’ point of view. There is no other courtroom book like it.
 
Watch out for the public display of this book at the upcoming Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on April 13-14, 2019 at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA.
 

Crazy People in Court
Written by Judge Robert C. Coates
Published by Dog Ear Publishing
Published date: December 1, 2016
Paperback price: $15.95
 

About the Author
Judge Robert c. Coates, as an attorney, handled both civil and criminal cases involving mental disorders, cases up to and including murder. He argued several cases before the California Supreme Court. He began serving as a Judge in 1982. Judge Coates retired from the bench in January of 2011 after presiding over a San Diego Superior Courtroom for more than 28 years. He continues to be an active presence within the law community. Currently, he is a partner at Bagula, Riviere, Coates and associates, a law firm that practices civil law with a focus on environmental, business, employment, and real estate law. Coates is the author of “A Street is Not a Home: Solving America’s Homeless Dilemma,” which earned him the 1991 Warren Williams Advocacy Award from the California and American Psychiatric Associations; and also, a book of award-winning poetry, “Ships Passing at the Death of Night” (1984).

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