Web extra: Judge dispenses justice in Utah Rainbow country

NEAR LYMAN LAKE, Summit County — Normally flanked by the American and Utah flags when he takes the bench, U.S. Magistrate Samuel Alba was book-ended by two very different items Wednesday — a rake and a garden hose.

The dress code was different, too. Alba wore a plaid work shirt, blue jeans and cowboy boots under his black judicial robe; one defense attorney wore flip flops.

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BORDER="1"> FACE="Verdana,Helvetica,Arial" SIZE="2">Previous coverage: FACE="Verdana,Helvetica,Arial" SIZE="2"> July 2: Rainbow camp culture July 2: 2 Rainbow men remain in custody July 1: 4 Rainbow members face criminal charges June 30: Rainbow tales are colorful June 30: Love, peace, diversity and no potties June 29: Lee Benson: Feelin' groovy in Evanston June 29: Editorial: Brace for the Rainbow invasion June 19: Environmental fallout sullies Rainbow event June 14: Rainbow Family to gather on Uinta slope over next 3 weeks June 12: Summit County gearing up for big Rainbow Family visit

And although he was sitting in a lawn chair behind a folding table in a snowmobile shed, Alba still ran the proceedings much like he would in his own Salt Lake courtroom.

Never mind the propane tanks, Craftsman tool boxes and barbecue grills that surrounded him.

Alba dutifully instructed defendants of their rights, instructed his court clerks to set trial dates and handed down sentences to those who chose to plead guilty.

He even made one defendant remove his baseball cap. Ironic, since another sat in the audience barefoot, waiting for his turn before the judge.

The quasi-courthouse was set up Wednesday and expected to continue today to handle misdemeanor citations handed out at this week's Rainbow Family Gathering. Alba handled some 20 cases in the morning session, mostly simple drug possessions and traffic incidents, and was expected to hear another 50 or so before court adjourned this afternoon.