Judge Virginia Kendall’s courtroom at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse is a frequent home for a pair of therapy dogs, but one of the pups caused a brief delay during the trial of former Chicago Ald. Ed Burke on Monday.
According to the judge, one of the dogs managed to snag a bag of treats that had been brought in by one of the jurors, and helped itself to more than its fair share.
There is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and when the dog became ill from the treats, a brief recess was called in the case.
“I guess I’m going to have to be more careful about the treats that are being given,” Kendall told those in the courtroom.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the therapy dogs, Birdie and Junebug, have been at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse for years. They are there to help people cope with the stresses of the courtroom, with lawyers, witnesses and even defendants all availing themselves to their services.
The trial was able to resume after a brief delay.
