Do you not have to have completed law school to become a judge?

[HoreTore]

Harry S Truman first elected office was judge. That was the jobs title. The county elected 3 judges and between the three they chose a Presiding Judge. Harry was chosen. No formal education beyond high school.

My memory of Truman may be a bit shaky, but wasn't he elected into the bureaucracy of a court? Ie. he was overseeing stuff, but not actually passing judgements and all that?

[Sarmatian]

Bah, he looked like a butler anyway.

[Major Robert Dump]

In California you can be an illegal immigrant and be a cop, and if Jerry Brown has his way also a lawyer. It takes all types.

Just curious, what is your opinion on the guy who lost custody of his kids because he named them Hitler? Does the same rule apply here or no?

[HoreTore]

In California you can be an illegal immigrant and be a cop, and if Jerry Brown has his way also a lawyer. It takes all types.

Just curious, what is your opinion on the guy who lost custody of his kids because he named them Hitler? Does the same rule apply here or no?

Different rule than the one used in the OP, as that was a rule designed to protect the rights of the child, while the judge above tried to protect the rights of jesus.

If naming your kid Messiah is deemed to give undue burden to a child, I would have no problem with outlawing it.

EDIT: Investigating this a bit further gives this statement from the judge:

"It could put him at odds with a lot of people and at this point he has had no choice in what his name is," Ballew said.

....Which seems to imply that she was thinking of the rights of the child, not jesus. This may be yet another case of media sensationalism...