Judge, 1920-07-24 · page 3 of 36
Judge — July 24, 1920 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation of Judge Magazine Cartoon (July 24, 1929) This courtroom scene, drawn by Walter De Maris, depicts a legal proceeding where a man (seated, center-left) is accused of "alienating this man's affections"—a now-obsolete legal claim where someone could sue another for damages if they caused their spouse to withdraw affection. The judge questions the defendant's credibility, asking sarcastically whether he appears capable of attracting anyone's affections at all. The satire mocks both the absurdity of "alienation of affections" lawsuits (which were taken seriously legally in 1929) and the defendant's apparent unattractiveness. This reflects early 20th-century legal culture when such suits were common, ridiculous by modern standards, and frequently the subject of satirical commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
— JUL 2! Wee Volume 79 3 37.00 a Year JUDGE “THE HAPPY eMEDIUM” 15 Cents a Copy | ee | z | Drawn by Warter De Manis “| LEAVE IT TO vou, New York, Jury 24, 1920 Cis HE LOOK AS IF HE HAD ANY AFFECTIONS 3 “You ARE ACCUSED OF ALIENATING THIS MAN'S AFFECTIONS. WHAT HAVE you TO SAY IN YOUR DEFEN your Honor; vors TO ALIENATE