At the Clark County Courthouse, Superior Court Judge Suzan Clark presides over her courtroom.
But at Clark’s home, Alibi presides.
From a humble beginning as a stray on a farm near Salem, Ore., the frisky feline has gained fame around the Clark County Courthouse for his Facebook page.
The judge, of course, is his personal representative.
“It’s so reflective of her sense of humor and personality,” Clark County Deputy Prosecutor Michelle Nisle said of the Facebook page. “I think it’s cool anytime you can see behind the robe.”
In her administration of Alibi’s page, Clark posts photos of Alibi, chronicles his adventures and slips in an occasional legal pun.
When Alibi was caught on the kitchen table, Clark posted a photo of him with the caption, “Innocent, I tell you!”
Alibi’s name, in fact, is a legal pun.
Clark was a criminal defense attorney before she was appointed to the Clark County Superior Court bench.
“I always have joked that I’ve never had a client with a good alibi,” Clark said. “Alibi is very wide-eyed, like ‘Who me? I didn’t do it.’ I thought it was a cute name for a cat.”
So far, Alibi has nearly 70 Facebook friends and counting. According to his page, he has read six books, such as “If I Ran the Zoo” by Dr. Seuss. He’s a Portland Trail Blazers fan, and he likes to watch the cartoon “CatDog.”
Clark adopted Alibi about a month before she was sworn into office in May 2013. She didn’t intend to.
She said her last cat died at age 15, and she didn’t want another pet.
“My dad’s farm, unfortunately, is a place where people dump animals,” she said. “Alibi came and just walked into the shop one day. He was domesticated so it was pretty obvious that someone dumped him.”
Her dad, Gary Clark, called her and offered Alibi as a pet.
Clark took the cat to a veterinarian’s office to make sure Alibi didn’t have a microchip to identify his lawful owner. Finding none, she decided to take him home.
“He is just so entertaining,” Clark said. “He is a very active cat and likes to climb the curtains.”
His mischievous escapades were just one of the reasons Clark decided to start a Facebook page for him.
“I’ve always enjoyed all the cat memes on Facebook,” Clark said. (There is a Grumpy Cat calendar in her chambers.)
“I decided I would put all of those things on Alibi’s page and wouldn’t fill everybody else’s Facebook feed with that because not everyone loves cat posts,” she said.
“It’s become a lot of fun because a lot of his friends post things for him and he can make comments maybe I wouldn’t feel comfortable making and just from his perspective,” she said.
For example, one post shows a photo of Alibi lying on the desk of Clark’s sister while Clark was away on one her frequent world travels.
“Helping Judy Clark Adams with her work while the human is off in Paris. I am indispensable!!!”
Some of Alibi’s notable Facebook friends include Clark County Prosecutor Tony Golik, attorney and former candidate Josephine Townsend, and Clark County Superior Court Judge Scott Collier.
Nisle’s pet dogs, Pepper and Winston, who also have their own Facebook pages, also have befriended Alibi.
“It’s good because cats and dogs can get along in Facebook world,” Nisle quipped.
Clark said Alibi sometimes receives friend requests from people whom Clark doesn’t know well, and he often serves as a conversation starter in the courthouse.
“I feel it makes me more approachable for a lot of attorneys who don’t know me and for a lot of people in the system,” Clark said.
To see Alibi in his social media glory or to view his Christmas wish list, visit www.facebook.com/alibi.clark.
