Have you ever woken up, started your day, and just known something wasn't right? That's the distinct feeling Carter has one morning before school. He tries not to worry about it, but as the day moves on, the more Carter's worry grows. Luckily, he has good intuition, thanks to his mom, the judge. Sure, his mom does "normal-mom" stuff, but she also does "judge-mom" stuff, too, like taking emergency calls and carrying folders with her all the time. Using skills learned from his mom, Carter observes that school is unusually quiet and subdued. There is silence and too many adults, and Carter begins to think something is seriously wrong. Soon, Carter finds himself literally center stage in front of his classmates, and he has some important decisions to make! The Junior Judge is a light-hearted short story full of engaging imagery that brings you along on a not-so-ordinary day with the son of a judge.