I'm an avid gamer. It's a lot of fun to finally be able to tear into a new game that you've been waiting to play. I'm sensible enough, though, to not call in sick. Be a little responsible.

48-year-old man who happens to be a judge playing video games? Absolutely nothing wrong with that. I'll still be playing games when I'm 48.

48-year-old man who happens to be a judge calling in sick to play video games? This idiot has displayed extremely poor judgment and should be promptly dismissed.

Could this judge be totally irresponsible,,, maybe. On the other hand maybe this guy doesn't call in sick every time he has the sniffles,and saves his sick days, unlike some people. Its not a waste of taxpayer funds, people normally are compensated for whatever unused sick days they have when they retire/leave work. Additionally, you don't know if this guy worked a little harder in the days leading up to the release to make sure he had a light day or nothing important to do. I am sure if he was in the middle of a murder trial he wouldn't have taken the day.
I wish people would relax a little about rules and regulations, often a little flexibility greatly improves work environment, as long as people don't take advantage.

I have no problems with this guy calling in sick one day because he was up to late playing a game. Seriously, those of us who are lucky enough to have sick days should use them. I'm sure there was another judge who stepped in for him. I take "sick days" all the time. It's bad enough that we all have to be corporate slaves our entire lives, a few days off won't hurt anybody. You say it is irresponsible, I say it is necessary. Wake up people; we work way to much. I am in favor of a 20 hour work week - but at the same salary that I have now. :)

Jeez, get a grip people. No drama here.

Everyone deserves time away from work to blow off some steam and relax. There's nothing wrong with playing hookie every now and then as long as it's not a trend.

Somebody called sick into work, and they weren't actually sick!

IT'S A FIRST!

Welcome to life, people bullshit so they can do things they enjoy.

Wow, no way dude that is totally insane. I would do the same thing!

JEss
www.ultimate-privacy.br.tc

This is how sick days are meant to be taken. Maybe he just needed a mental health day administering a different form of justice.

You people are hypocrites.

I don't know. If employees with shitty jobs can be excused for calling in sickies for their personal reasons, why can't public servants?
Just because they serve us, meaning they answer to us in a way, doesn't mean we should be an asshole them doing it. I mean, how would you like if your boss (who YOU answer to) is an asshole about you calling in sickies?
Wouldn't you like an understanding boss that realizes sickness isn't the ONLY valid reason for a "sickie"?

He's a grown man. Public servant or not, how he uses his paid sick days is his business and noone elses. It's his job, he's been doing it for 15 years and now the moral gaming police wanna hark on with false outrage? Gimme a break! I think we should be applauding a 47 year old man for still enjoying a hobby that's gets constantly degraded and stereotyped in the media.

But no, let's villify and condem a man that's human just like the rest of us and decided to take a day off. No, I say the author of this article is the one that needs to grow up. Gamers come from all walks of life and his profession has nothing to do with him taking a day off. Trust me, the court system has contingencies for an absent judge. Calm down and hop off the soap box. Maybe you need a day off....

so - because this guy is a judge, he is no longer entitled to any sick/personal days?

if he took the day off to veg on the couch and watch re-runs of dr. who - would that be acceptable?

come on people, gimme a break...

you work your days - you accumulate your sick/personal/vacation time - you take it when you want/need it

WHO CARES?! its nobodies business what a judge does on his own time... if he has 100 sick days.. then he can do whatever he wants with them... its a f#cking Judge....

What I want to know is how did they find out? Who told on him, one of his kids? The wife? Or was there some spying on the judge going on. I believe sick days are usually called sick/personal days, so he took a personal day off, what's the big deal?

dude, everyone is entitled to sick days! if he has them, he is smart to use them! coolest judge ever!

he didnt go to court, but he was still laying down the law!

so - because this guy is a judge, he is no longer entitled to any sick/personal days?

I don't see where the article's author has implied that the judge wasn't entitled to a sick day. The sick day itself isn't the issue.

Yeah, grow up and start a blog.

Did anyone else notice that they missed the best part of the story? They never told us how he got caught! How did they ever find out that he was playing MW2 all night and that was why he called out?

Oh grow up, So a Civil Servant wants to take a day off, he cant though because our taxes pay him? What kind of bullshat logic is that? He is a human being and should be held to that level.

This guy shoulda took a vacation day.. but barring the foresight, a sick day is a valid excuse.
I see nothing wrong with what he did and even go so far as to applaud his in touchness with the common man.

How many judges call in sick to go fishing or golfing? What's the difference? Let him plaaaaaaaaay!!!

Monumental Fail at razzing this judge for being human.

I hope that this 48 year old gamer who is a judge decides important issues like net-neutrality and video game violence action law-suits.

or would the author rather have the 48 year old judge who can barely operate email? Pick your battles...

I think this comment from Digg about sums up this article and the following comment by Dread:

Big deal, he get's X amount of sick/personal days in his employment contract, He can use them how he pleases..... Don't blame him blame the system if you think calling in is an abuse of it. If he was too tired for whatever reason to accurately and dutifully fulfill his job as a judge then he should stay home.

The worse story would be 'Judge falls asleep during trial because he stayed up late playing video game'

Yes, you are WRONG WRONG WRONG!!

I hope this post is sarcastic. The good judge demonstrated that he is NOT wasting taxpayer money by calling into work sick, given that he was just up all night long. It does not matter if he was up with a sick child, playing video games or otherwise not sleeping, he did the responsible thing and called in sick. There is not difference between being 48 and being 14, when it comes to video games, really...

That shows that he is more of a grown up, well, than you.

David Savage, mind your own business... if the judge wants to use one of his sick days to play a game, then so be it. Who the hell are you to tell him to grow up?

You make me sick

What takes place on Sick days should not be judged.

Cheers to the judge/human being, we are all entitled to a little fun.

That was anti-climatic.

Yea, I'm going to go ahead and agree with everybody else here. Who cares if he stayed up late playing video games and calls in sick? That's great. Good for him. Dude needed his rest, and I assume he got it, and maybe played some more MW2 on his sick day. I sure hope he did. I almost certainly would have.

If this judge had used vacation time to play the game (vacation time is still taxpayers money) would he still be wrong?

Or is it just the fact that he faked sick.

What if the judge heard about it to late. He wouldn't of had time to put in for vacation.