A day in the life of divorce court by Sally Nichols, Contributing writer   Mention "court" to anyone and they are likely to cringe just at the sound of the word. Go to divorce court for a day, and you probably will find yourself cringing the whole time. The enormous bulletin board just across from the elevators on the third floor of the courthouse lists what trials are scheduled for that particular day. Today there are five divorces scheduled for hearing. They are the cases beginning with "DV." Five in a day is not too bad considering one in every two divorces will end up in court. One particular case catches the eye: DV97-00446 Case: Divorce Contested Divorce Three Day Trial Roger Jones V. Angela Jones Courtroom 1; 1:25 p.m.   Outside the room with bold, black letters reading, "Family Court 1," there is a play area similar to one in a pediatrician's office. Kids want to be here no more than they do the doctor's office. Here they are usually the center of argument, as little Joshua is in the Jones case. Joshua, who is no more than three, clumsily staggers across a multi-colored rug catering to both English and Spanish speaking victims of divorce. He falls on the "BLANCO/WHITE" square, his left cheek covering the "HITE" so it reads "BLANCOW." Perhaps the black eye patch over his left eye caused him to lose his balance. The bailiff unlocks the door at 1:27p.m. Little Joshua is reaped into the arms of an elderly woman and dragged into the courtroom. If every wrinkle is a hardship in her life, she had had many. Joshua begins to wail, as if he knows his fate resides in the hands of Judge Arthur Scott. The attorneys talk amongst themselves and share a laugh. They are not opponents for a moment before the trial commences. The elderly woman takes a seat in the open-seating section of the courtroom. She sits in the seat closest to the door to the Judge's left, maybe in case Joshua becomes unruly. The defendant, Robert Jones, approaches them with a smile that exudes an air of confidence. He strokes Joshua on the cheek, and takes a seat next to his lawyer, Kevin G. Moskowitz, who now sits at the desk, thumbing through papers. They talk under their breaths to one another. Mr. Jones strokes his brown mustache &endash; a nervous habit. It does not match his salt and pepper hair slicked back to his shoulders. His seafoam green shirt has more wrinkles than the elderly woman's face. The sport coat could disguise them, but it was too small to button. His cowboy boots looked like they fit comfortably, the black leather supple from wear. The plaintiff then enters the room looking less confident, barely making eye contact with her son who was bouncing on the legs of the elderly woman. Instead, she keeps her head held low, focusing on the dull gray carpet as she struts a timid gait. She does not even look at her lawyer, Donald L. Smith, as she takes a seat beside him and immediately crosses her legs. She begins leafing through documents. Her teal dress matches the tones in her husband's striped tie. Their hair also matches, but she has more salt than pepper. It is not slicked back, but falls naturally to her shoulders. Mrs. Jones repeatedly pushed her thick-framed eyeglasses against her ice blue eyes &endash; her nervous twitch. The bailiff then enters the courtroom though the door just behind the judge's stand to announce, "Court is now in session." Judge Scott follows, a Tom Hanks look alike. He even bears the same grim as he enters the courtroom. Judge, recorder, bailiff are all in their respective places. Roger Jones is called to the stand. The gray carpet sucks him in too as he approaches the stand. He walks within five feet of his wife, but they make no eye contact. She stares at one of her many technical documents. Throughout his testimony Mr. Jones occasionally gives his wife a vindictive stare. Stares once filled with love and passion are now filled with anger and greed. Mrs. Jones ignores them, sharing hers with the papers. Papersótechnical documentsóare the basis of this relationship now. They are Joshuaís future. They are also his past. Records of Joshua's visits to the doctor and prescriptions administered are what comprise the thick binders of documents. Mr. Jones and his lawyer use these documents in attempt to prove Mrs. Jones is an unfit mother. They argue that Joshua's eye patch is a result of neglect on her behalf. Two weeks of ignoring acute conjunctivitis of the left eye has left Joshua partially blind. Weight charts illustrate the fact that Joshua was admitted to the hospital twice because of malnutrition. Once again, under the care of his mother. The mental health of the mother is a key issue. She has been diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). This may be the cause of her supposed neglect. After fifteen more minutes of mustache stroking, Mr. Jones steps down. He keeps eye contact with his lawyer as he passes Mrs. Jones, still engulfed in papers. Court is adjourned. It is the last day of the trial. Judge makes an announcement that a verdict will not be called today as he is waiting psychological evaluations on both Mr. and Mrs. Jones. Angela Jones is called to the stand. Mrs. Jones nervously approaches the stand with arms stiffly at her sides. This nervous air remains throughout her testimony. She has to ask Mr. Jones's attorney to "rephrase the question," blinking repeatedly while doing so with her head tilted. She asks him to do this every time she is caught in a lie. Her lawyer uses their personal life to prove Mrs. Jones to be the suitable parent. The court finds the couple met in a sadomasochistic chat room on the Internet. Soon after, they became active in a swing community in California. After moving to Reno, they married, had Joshua, and continued their sexual ways. Her lawyer argues Mr. Jones forced Mrs. Jones to have sex with others unwillingly so he could watch. Judge Scott gives her the okay to step down. She asks to use the restroom. A ten-minute recess is called. Mr. Jones and his lawyer walk to the restroom shoulder to shoulder, heartily laughing. It is Mr. Jones' third divorce, so he seems a pro on stand compared to her. They radiate with confidence. Judge Scott is five minutes late. He returns to deliberate who will care for Joshua until a verdict is called. She refuses joint custody. A babysitter is arranged through the court. Mr. Jones will pick him up on Fridays and take him to her on Mondays. They are both ordered not to be there otherwise. Joshua leaves with the elderly lady. Mr. Jones and his ex-wife stay behind to converse with their lawyers. The bailiff checks his watch. He and the rest of the court look anxious to get home. It is just another day in divorce court to them. Another fallen relationship has boiled down to nothing but technical legalities.     copyright May 1998 Nevada Outpost http://www.jour.unr.edu/outpost