Redux: Singing jury creates disorder in Haman’s court

From the files of Huckleberries past, 25 years ago, comes this item (March 30, 1992):

Nothing has been said about last week’s demonstration in Judge Gary Haman’s courtroom. It was over in less that 30 seconds, yet the district judge admitted later, he’ll never forget it.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary Wednesday as Haman prepared to dismiss the jury of seven women and five men in the civil case. It involved the 1980 fire that destroyed the old Woolworth store on Sherman Avenue.

As is customary, Haman told jurors not to discuss the case with anyone, or form an opinion on the case. Then, he ordered them to return the following morning at 9:15.

At the point, the 12 jurors and one alternate, stood up en masse and proceeded to sing “Happy Birthday” to the flabbergasted judge.

“I’ve never had anything like that ever happen to me,” Haman, now 49, told me later. “I’ve never hear of something like that happening to anybody else.”

Circumstantial evidence indicated bailiff Dick Murphy set up the surprise, but no one is talking.

Question: Do you remember Judge Haman?