Q: I was impressed with the way Judge Gregory A. Adams handled Andrea Sneiderman’s trial. He was respectful of the jurors’ time, kept the trial moving and the courtroom under control. This brings to mind Judge Lance Ito in the O.J. Simpson trial. What happened to Ito? I don’t think I’ve heard about him since that trial.
—Kathy McDonough, Peachtree Corners
A: Ito, who was the judge in Simpson's murder trial in 1995, was a Superior Court judge in Los Angeles until April 2012, when budget cuts closed 55 courtrooms throughout Los Angeles County. Ito now goes where he's needed, filling in for sick judges or "reviewing petitions from life-term prisoners in a courtroom stripped of chairs in the jury box and witness stand," the Orange County (Calif.) Register reported in January. "I have no staff, no bailiff, no court reporter and I have to persuade friendly clerks to enter minute orders," Ito told the paper. "There's no heat in here and the furniture has been cannibalized." In February 2012, Ito told FoxNews.com: "I'm married to the same woman, live in the same neighborhood, drive the same car, but looking forward to retirement in the not too distant future."
Q: There are several MARTA buses with advertisements on them for singers or rappers that say “Parental Advisory — Explicit Content.” I don’t understand how anyone could think these ads are suitable for the public. Children see them. Who do we contact to complain?
—Barbara Mercer, Norcross
A: You can call MARTA customer service at (404) 848-5000 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday or send an email to custserv@itsmarta.com.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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