Judge Harkness

"A killer is a killer is a killer."

Biography
Fremont Harkness was one of Gotham's toughest judges, persecuting all criminals with equal bias. He seemed to care little about pleads of mental disorder, declaring that murder is murder no matter what the circumstances. He was known as Gotham's "hanging judge."

Arkham Origins Incident
A short time before the events of Batman: Arkham Origins, Julian Gregory Day, also known as the Calendar Man, a ruthless killer who murdered people on holidays, is apprehended by Batman. Harkness was the judge handling Day's case. He planned to sentence Day to the severest punishment possible, until Day was deemed mentally unstable by Harleen Quinzel. Eventually, however, Warden Joseph of Blackgate Prison pressures Quinzel to take back her claim of insanity. Harkness sentences Day to death by gas chamber on Christmas Eve, claiming it to be poetic justice.

Eventually, however, Day is freed from Blackgate by Black Mask (actually Joker in disguise). Immediately, the Calendar Man targets Harkness. The details of the attack are revealed by Calendar Man in Batman: Arkham City. On Christmas Day, the night after Day's scheduled execution, Harkness hosted a party. Calendar Man murdered a nearby Santa Claus on the street and took his costume, using the disguise to get into the party. He later found Harkness, strangled him with Christmas lights, and left him hanging in front of his house amidst all the comical decorations and displays.

Arkham City Incident
Calendar Man later recalled to Batman his murder of Harkness.

Judge Harkness
Real Name: Fremont Harkness

Batman's Datebase Profile
Harkness

Trivia

 * He is good friends with Martin Joseph and his family.
 * He appears to be something of a sadist, claiming that he plans to show Calendar Man's execution at his Christmas party.
 * He holds a disdain for the "freaks" that had been surfacing in Gotham City.