06:17 PM CDT on Friday, April 28, 2006

Watch Donna Savarese’s report

Call it "life imitating art".

In the ruling in the Da Vinci code trial in London earlier this month, the judge inserted a code of his own into that ruling.

AP

A local expert on puzzles was one of the first to try and crack that code.

Elonka Dunin, a cryptologist of St. Charles says she is happy for the man who did crack the code.

The person she's happy for is British lawyer Dan Tench, who has cracked the cryptic code found in a British judge's 71 page decision clearing author Dan Brown on charges of copyright violation.

Italicized letters that spell out the word's "Smithy code" - the first clue that there was a code embedded in the ruling.

The judge in the case was Peter Smith.

Beyond that another series of letters, when decoded, spelled out a message about British Naval Officer Jackie Fisher whom the judge was a fan of.

"It was full-out intense work for hours. It was a definite race with other groups around the Internet to see who could crack this code first," said Dunn.

Dan Tench would be that person who cracked the code first.

But why would a judge put a secret message about an historic admiral in a modern legal ruling?

No reason really, except “what he is demonstrating is how you can use codes which is of course what the subject matter of the litigation is all about.. To put secret messages and if you like and you can convey whatever your own personal interest is...and the judge's interest is admiral fisher," said Tench.

Elonka Dunn says such a code is also a fabulous way for a judge to get people all over the world to read your legal ruling.

More information on Elonka Dunn

'Da Vinci Code' spurs debate about Christianity