SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA
County of Alameda, Rene C. Davidson Alameda County Courthouse
Case No. RG07336497
Date: September 21, 2007
Petitioner: Kristin Sue Lucas
Petitioner represented by: Kristin Sue Lucas
Judge: The Honorable [redacted]
Transcript of Change of Name Hearing:
J: Kristin Lucas⌠You are the last one on the calendar today, Miss Lucas. Because I really donât quite understand. This process requires a change to be taking place. And youâre not asking for anything to change. Youâre asking for this order that to you stays the same.
KL: I have prepared a brief statement, um, to read to the court, if I may.
KL: Your honor I am here for a refresh.
A renewal of self.
I consider this act to be a poetic gesture and a birthday gift.
I am ready for an update.
An intervention into my life.
I am here to be born again as myself, or at the very least, the most current version of myself.
I am prepared to let go.
To empty my cache.
To refill the screen with the same information.
To reboot knowing that the new Kristin Lucas may experience a tremendous sense of loss, detachment, or disappointment, or joy.
Kristin Lucas is ready for change.
And Kristin Lucas awaits her replacement.
J: But itâs not a change.
KL: I feel it is a change if itâs entered into the system. And itâs, itâs like, like uh, like uhm, honoring your vows in marriage.
Itâs⌠uh. Itâs⌠Iâm considering it like a rebirth or a renewal.
Uhm⌠For me it feels like a change would take place the moment between a name that exists and then rewriting the same name. If I write my name over and over on a page, my name is different every time I write it. Because itâs, itâs about time, itâs about experiencing it as the moment. So I, I ask you to please honor my, my name change and give me this chance for intervention in my life.
J: The law does not, in which you have placed yourself into, is procedure to make a name change. Not a spiritual change, not a change of a relationship to yourself, not a change of⌠not a refresh as on a computer screen where you want to refresh a website. Uhm⌠The law only provides this process for people that are changing their names. Mostly people change their names because of their self-identity or their religious beliefs. Or there, or there were changes in a relationship that they cannot accept⌠but the process isnât set up to avoid giving an opportunity to come together in a spiritual or emotional way.
KL: Or just, everyday affirmation of self, is also what I had in mind.
J: The courtâs not in the business of humor. The system of laws that we have isnât set up to either help or hinder a person from doing that. I am⌠There is a disconnect in my mind. That a personâs personal sense of identity and relationship towards the world, and the way the law treats them. Iâm, Iâm⌠I have considerable amount of difficulty in⌠taking that word change and entering an order that doesnât include any change⌠other than your perception of change. And thatâs not whatâs on the paper. All Iâm doing is changing the paper.
KL: I have the feeling that the technology that we have available can make that change for us. Itâs like, replacing information. The computer, the technology, the system has a way of erasing you, and, and I feel that, uhm⌠this is a change I have seen in my lifetime. And I, I just, Iâm really interested, in⌠just reestablishing, uhm⌠I felt I had laid that out for you but itâs difficult to describe. I donât feel that this intervention into my life, or into the system is in any way a danger to the system, or, or to myself, and no one has appeared here to object this change. And I also respect yourâŚ
J: But itâs not a change.
KL: I should have brought a philosopher⌠I feel, I feel it, it is a change. Moment to moment in my life I experience many changes and I am looking for the approval of the court to just to kind of sanction that change for me.
J: How many more times are you going to come to the court and change your name, because youâre changing every fifteen minutes, orâŚ?
KL: Well, Iâve been thinking about this change for a year and it brought me here today and I would like to experience what the differences might be. I canât make that decision about how many times I might need a refresh. But I want to respect the courtâs time, as well.
KL: And Iâm not here to abuse the system.
J: I, I donât think that you are.
J: And I donât mind the time. I just donât know that I have the legal authority to change your name when itâs not a change. The code sections talk about changing. Can I give you an order that doesnât change your name at all? That keeps your name the same? Is that the same as granting a name change? And I think not. And Iâm going to do this, Iâm going to continue this matter for two weeks⌠and try to think about these issues in this timeâŚ
J: Iâll try to puzzle out in my mind whether I ought to do it. Um, clearly the law gives me the discretion given here to make a name change or not, um,.. But I do need to know in my own mind that the law permits me to do it. I know that the law permits me to say ânoâ, but does the law permit me to say âyesâ, is the second question. And Iâll go do some legal research, quite frankly it is the first time anybody has come here and tried to do this.
KL: Thank you I appreciate your time, thank you.
J: So, itâs going to be on October fifth. Iâll see you back on that day.
J: And you donât have to sit down because youâre not going to be taking any papers with you today.
SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA
County of Alameda, Rene C. Davidson Alameda County Courthouse
Case No. RG07336497
Date: October 5, 2007
Petitioner: Kristin Sue Lucas
Petitioner represented by: Kristin Sue Lucas
Judge: The Honorable [redacted]
Transcript of Change of Name Hearing:
J: Kristin Sue Lucas⌠Well I must say that I spent probably way too much time thinking about this situation. I think itâs a nutty idea, itâs not really a name change, but Iâm going to do it. UhâŚ
KL: Thank you your honor.
J: So you have changed your name to exactly what it was before in the spirit of refreshing yourself as though you were a web page.
KL: Thank you your honor.
J: Stay here and weâll have some paper work for you.
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