Bar Kappara expounded: From where do we know the matter that the Sages said, "Be deliberate in judgment"? For it is written, "You shall not go up by steps" (Exodus 20:23), and immediately following it comes, "And these are the ordinances" (Exodus 21:1) [the laws of judgment follow the warning against climbing in haste]. Rabbi Eleazar said: From where do we learn that a judge must not step over the heads of the holy people [tread on those seated before him in the court]? As it is said, "You shall not go up by steps," and immediately following it comes, "And these are the ordinances." "Which you shall set [tasim]" (Exodus 21:1) - it should rather have said "which you shall teach." Rabbi Jeremiah said: These are the tools of the judges [the verb hints that justice is an equipped craft]. When Rav Huna would go out to judge, he would say, "Bring me the tools of my trade," and so on. "And I commanded your judges" (Deuteronomy 1:16) - against the rod and the strap [the instruments of discipline] let him be ready.
Why a Judge Must Be Slow and Walk Among His People
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 308:1
דְּרַשׁ בַּר קַפָּרָא, מִנָּא הָא מִלְּתָא דְּאָמוּר רַבָּנָן הֱווּ מְתוּנִים בַּדִּין, דִּכְתִיב (שמות כ, כג) "וְלֹא תַעֲלֶה בְמַעֲלֹת", וְסָמִיךְ לֵיהּ וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים. אֲמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, מִנַּיִן לַדַּיָן שֶׁלֹּא יַפְסִיעַ עַל רָאשֵׁי עַם קֹדֶשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְלֹא תַעֲלֶה בְמַעֲלֹת", וְסָמִיךְ לֵיהּ וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים. אֲשֶׁר תָּשִׂים, 'אֲשֶׁר תְּלַמֵּד' מִבָּעְיָא לֵיהּ. אָמַר רַבִּי יִרְמִיָּה. אֵלּוּ כְּלֵי הַדַּיָּנִין. רַב הוּנָא, כִּי הֲוָה נָפִיק לְדִינָא, אֲמַר. אַפִּיקוּ לִי מָאנֵי דְחֲנוּתָאי וְכוּ'. "וָאֲצַוֶּה אֶת שֹׁפְטֵיכֶם", כְּנֶגֶד מַקֵּל וּרְצוּעָה תְּהֵא זָרִיז.