A federal judge apologized Thursday to an attorney he had scolded and threatened with jail when she insisted on using her maiden name and the courtesy title ``Ms.'' in court. ``I have always referred to married women by their married name. This is the way my generation was taught,'' said Senior U.S. District Judge Hubert Teitelbaum, 73. ``I recognize your right to be addressed in any manner in which you see fit, and I apologize for my comments and the resulting situation,'' the judge told Barbara Wolvovitz and three other attorneys involved in the trial of a race discrimination suit against PPG Industries Inc. On July 8, Teitelbaum told Ms. Wolvovitz, whose husband is University of Pittsburgh law professor Jules Lobel: ``From here on, in this courtroom you will use Mrs. Lobel. That's your name.'' The judge originally threatened her with jail when she resisted his instruction, and when her co-counsel, Jon Pushinsky, protested, Teitelbaum found him in contempt for ``officious intermeddling'' and gave him a suspended 30-day jail sentence. Ms. Wolvovitz, representing two black men suing PPG, moved Monday for a mistrial, which Teitelbaum rejected. When she again stated her preference, he said: ``What if I call you sweetie?'' The judge said he would settle for calling her ``counselor.'' He also vacated his contempt order for Pushinsky. The jury began deliberations Wednesday afternoon and was still out when the judge made his apology, which was officially entered into court records. Teitelbaum said that if Ms. Wolvovitz still wanted to press for a mistrial, he would grant it before the jury returned with a verdict. Teitelbaum said the parties would be ``stuck with that verdict'' if they declined his offer. The attorneys agreed to not seek a mistrial. Hours later, the jury decided against Ms. Wolvovitz's clients, who had charged they were harassed at work because of their race. Ms. Wolvovitz, 36, who has practiced law for 10 years, and Pushinsky did not want to comment further after the judge's apology, Pushinsky said Thursday. ``I think that he did what he had to do, and thank God he did it,'' said National Organization for Women President Molly Yard, a Pittsburgh resident who is familiar with Teitelbaum. ``I think it's raised everybody's consciousness and that's fine.'' Tom Hollander, president of the Allegheny County Bar Association, said: ``I think it was big of him to apologize.'' JoAnn Dempler, Teitelbaum's law clerk for eight years, said the judge ``is not sexist ... does not discriminate against woman ... does not demean women.'' ``He's a tease,'' she said Thursday. ``His sense of humor is such that he likes to tease and joke and kid around, and if people do not know that, they could easily misconstrue what he's doing or saying. ``Even in court, because we're dealing with very serious matters, every once in a while to just sort of inject a little levity or reduce tension he will make a lighthearted remark, and people who know him realize he doesn't mean to offend anyone,'' Mrs. Dempler said. Teitelbaum said he wasn't teasing when he told Ms. Wolvovitz she would ``sleep in the county jail tonight'' if she refused to be addressed as Mrs. Lobel. ``I unfortunately lost my temper and the matter then got out of hand,'' he said. The judge also said he misstated Pennsylvania law when he told Ms. Wolvovitz she was legally required to use her husband's last name unless she had court permission to do otherwise. ``I was wrong,'' Teitelbaum said. ``I made a mistake.''
