How old are you? This sounds like some sophistry we tried to pull when we were kids. “What’s wrong with saying ‘shit’? I mean, it’s just something that we leave in the toilet when…” You are joking with that statement, right?
And, BTW, I don’t know about you, but, I don’t know anybody named "Cock’ except for Cock Robin, who was fictional, and not a judge.
Umm, ok. I don’t see the need for this post. If it makes you feel better and more mature, more power to you.
I am not a child, I just don’t find words particularly hurtful when they come from random people who I don’t even know. Nor do I think they are deserving of jail time regardless of who they said to or at what point. Obviously the guy calling a judge a “cock” is being immature, and an outright disrespectful jackass. Jail time is a harsh penalty, in my society the harshest one possible. I believe a name is not worthy of such a thing, and the punishment vastly outweighs the crime in this case.
I also never once said anything at all about it being a proper name, so I don’t get your point at all. You are joking with this statement right?
I do think 30 days is a bit harsh. Most of us wouldn’t want to spend even 24 hours in jail, and three or four days for yelling “cock” would seem like plenty of deterrent. But, having spent a lot of time in courtrooms, I’m not surprised in the slightest that the judge acted this way. The second 30 days isn’t even the guys fault, the judge ***asked ***him to repeat it.
Hence this thread.
In a related topic, some newish law was affirmed, or something, in NYC that cursing or giving the finger to a cop is illegal. I think. Or maybe I got that backward.
I’m not going to empirically check this.
In Australia it seems the answer is probably not (PDF and language warning).
Not necessarily:
Think of it this way: the comtempt power isn’t so judges can avenge insults to their honor or to punish people that have personally offended them, it’s to maintain control of the courtroom and prevent undue disruptions. If everyone in court is allowed to be an immature, outright disrespectful jackass and disrupt the court anytime they feel like it it’s impossible to get anything done.
In reality comtempt is a really pretty rare last resort and 30 days for calling the judge a cock is pretty harsh. I watched the clip you’re talking about and the judge actually gave him two consecutive 60 day sentences which is really harsh, but he whispered “just gonna scare him” to someone off camera as he was having the guy brought back, and I read elsewhere that he figured the guy had learned his lesson after only four. Still, it’s the judge’s courtroom, and if somebody wants to roll the dice on calling the judge a cock they can’t claim surprise when they end up with their proverbial dick in their hand.
Hmmm… try talking sarcastically to your commanding officer or calling him names in the armed forces. Then try not apologizing in a sincere voice for it. Where does that get you? Fifty years ago teachers could give you the strap for that behaviour, or your father could tan your ass with his belt for that sort of behaviour, and nobody would blink an eye. (Maybe we’ve gotten soft, or maybe recognized that too many sadistic types took advantage of power… but…
Same decorum rules in court - subordination or disrespect or contempt or whatever name it goes by nowadays, is NOT allowed. Catch the judge in a good mood and maybe you get 2 or 3 chances to apologize. Bad mood, 30 to 60.
As for the "sticks and stones… " attitude - why would any formal situation allow people to mouth off? You can’t foul-mouth off in church (for very long) despite “turn the other cheek” , you can’t mouth off to someone in a store or restaurant without agood chance of being asked to leave… Why should judges put up with crap?
No, I got that part. The “adios” comment came before the finger. She literally got a tougher sentence for saying “adios.” That’s what I don’t get.
You know, speaking as a retired military man, even if the officer that I was working for (and, I’ve ran into a couple over 20 years) was a total douche, I STILL had to respect the uniform that was in front of me, even if I thought the person wearing it didn’t really deserve any.
I personally think that the position of judge deserves the same respect, and even if you think the person handing down your sentence is a “cock”, you STILL have to respect the robe, because it’s a symbol of the city and state’s authority.
I mean…how many people here (even those that hate Obama) would walk up to the President and call them a “cock”?
Holy crap! I couldn’t even read that past half way. Why would the judge even put up with that?!? That fellow is either insane or really stupid. Not hard to see why his appointed lawyer wanted out. This seems like an extreme case, but good reason why judges have to maintain control in the courtroom.
I’m guessing it was a stalling tactic, and the judge knew the quickest way to lock the guy up was to finish the proceedings.
Have you ever seen an umpire throw a player out of a game for arguing balls and strikes? Same principle.
The Court requires you to conduct yourself in a respectful and civil manner so that The Court may carry out the business of The People. You are not calling a *judge *a name. You are insulting The Court, and The Court doesn’t take shit off anyone.
Do not confuse the person with the institution they represent.
It’s nowhere near as bad as “contempt of cop”- which almost always is not illegal but results in (often extra- judicial) punishment up to death.
In an NHL game (I think it was last season) the player got 2 minutes extra penalty for slamming his stick on the ice because he disagreed with a referee’s call. The penalty was “unsportsmanlike behaviour”. And this for the league that gives you 2 minutes for punching out the other player.
No, she didn’t. She got her bail bond set at a higher amount. Bail is not a sentenced punishment, but a way to get out of jail until your case comes to trial.
This seems absolutely reasonable. Someone who actively disrespects the court is likely to be a greater risk of not returning, and so requires a higher bail amount.
I saw Rickey Henderson get tossed for giving the ump the stink eye, he didn’t say anything to him (it was an awful call, though)
It’s a law that’s on the books in a democracy, we can change it if we like. The citizenry has chosen to give this power to judges - they haven’t just taken it. You can’t really blame a judge for upholding the law…
Emotions run high in the courtroom! And often the persons involved are, let’s say, volatile. Often immature persons feel that if they bluster and blow, they will convince others with their passion. I think judges are correct to keep a tight lid on this kind of crap. And, of course, plenty of people end up in a courtroom due directly to a poor judgement or an uncontrolled temper, after all. I can’t see how letting people act out is contributing anything positive to the process.
I always think it’s a striking contrast, between the dirtbag looking fellow they arrested, and the gentlemanly appearing fellow who turns up in court. Dirty long hair, now clean and short, facial hair gone, tattoos covered, in a suit and tie. The evening news revisits the case, showing the arrest photo, then a shot of the defendant arriving in court. Sometimes it doesn’t even look like the same guy!