Judge Suspended for Abusing Contempt Power

[@rogerguinn4619]

Trying to wrap my head around how bad a judge has to be to get suspended in Louisiana...

[@JasonJrake]

Probably a suspension for not being corrupt enough...

[@Nirrrina]

I don't want to imagine. It's too scary.

[@douglashenry6996]

It begins in its police department, includes the prosecutor's office and runs up the line all the way through the courts, including judges.

[@mikhaelis]

Louisiana has a long history of political and judiciary corruption.

[@mr.robinson1982]

Its pronounced (LOSE-SEE-ANNA)

[@colleencook382]

So I had left my ex husband for emotional/financial abuse and cheating. He would leave us with no gas for hot water, no transportation (lived in the country-no public transport), no food. I wound up in a shelter. Well one visit from CPS and amazingly everything was perfect. We are in court because the Law Guardian was trying to let him have custody of the four kids saying it's a better environment than living in a shelter. My public defender is just sitting beside me nodding away. I tried to get up to address the judge and he jept herking me back down saying, "you will be in contempt of court if you try to speak". I told him I AM going to speak because he was just sitting there like a bobblehead and obviously did NOT have my best interests in mind. I did stand up and respectfully addressed the judge. I said, "Your Honor, may I please address the court?" The judge asked why I was speaking and not my lawyer. U said I feel he dies not have my or my kids best interest in mind and looked at the public defender and said, "You're fired and no longer represent me or my children." The judge asked if I would like to postpone the hearing to obtain other counsel. I declined. I gave a short version of how I came to these circumstances, ending with, "Your honor, I did NOT just decide to wake up one day and think it would be fun to drag 4 kids to a domestic violence shelter. No agency would help me leave the situation. They would only help once I left." Tge judge looked at the Law Guardian and asked why she had not relayed these details. The witch said, "I didn't feel they were pertinent to the case" The judge dressed her down a bit right there and then. I felt I was gonna lose my kids so I didn't care if he was gonna hold me in contempt, I had nothing left to lose. Afterwards while waiting for the paperwork to be signed, the Judge came up to me and said that had been a brave and risky thing to do and not all judges would have reacted the same way as he did. He said I presented the issue very well and concisely without getting over emotional, which is why he allowed me to address the court. I thanked him for allowing me to speak and told him my children are my life and I would do anything for them. Over the next 5 years or so my ex would file against me "nonsense" cases. Trying to ammend custody and or support. The 3rd time we came before this same judge (BTW ex lost every time). He gave me a piece of paper with his phone number on it and call me after 5pm. I called him and he said, "I see why you left him. I want to give you some names and numbers of potential landlords/employers" I found a good place to live and a good job thanks to his help. I will never forget his kindness.

[@Dave-ty2qp]

Good story. Glad you didn't get the judge we are discussing in this video. Your situation would be drastically different.

[@theEVILone0130]

While not all judges are butt heads there are enough that are bad to give them all a bad name.

[@moguaiato5583]

@@theEVILone0130 it only takes 1

[@colleencook382]

@@mvpfocus it was his office number. Yes, what he did probably wasn't 100% proper, but I was darn grateful and have spent the last 20 years trying to "pay it forward"

[@dickthedorkwing6082]

I don't believe this for one minute. The last time a family court judge sided with a father in my state his entire legal career was called into question by multiple feminist organizations which ultimately led to him being debenched and almost disbarred due to the political pressure placed on the county and the judicial district. I happened to be one of his last cases before he was forcibly removed and replaced by an activist feminist judge who then proceeded to undo all of the good that the previous judge did in the name of "equality". 95% of all custody cases are decided in favor of the woman regardless of whether or not she is the best choice for the children.

[@eddiehuff7366]

Her penalty for such bad unlawful actions was waaaay too small.

[@Dave-ty2qp]

Well Eddie the judge was investigated by her peers and they determined the punishment. Law Enforcement officers also investigate their own misbehaviour and seldom find any wrong doing. Our justice system is the finest in the world according to popular general knowledge. I often wonder why anyone would believe that assessment.

[@paul.van.santvoord1232]

In my view, The judge that was sentencing kids what came to know as the 'Kids for cash' scandal is by far the worst judge.

[@ThunderStruck15]

Or the one that forced a kid to live with her sexual abuser. Or the one that jailed the kids who didn’t want to visit their dad until they “apologized and gave him a hug.” JAILED! There are some insane judges out there.

[@ThunderStruck15]

@@mvpfocus I watch way too much youtube. 🤷‍♀️

[@coop5329]

Over 4000 kids ripped from their families and put in jail so the judges could get kickbacks from the for-profit jails. Over 4000 lives ruined. Kids as young as 11 jailed for things as stupid as jaywalking. No access to defense lawyers allowed, not even allowed to talk to their parents, just arrested, hauled in front of the Honorables, and taken directly to jail. Both judges should have been taken out and shot like rabid dogs. One of them got let out of jail because he was "in danger" due to Covid and he's enjoying a lovely life in Florida last I heard. Yes, those are the worst judges ever. The WORST part is that there were multiple citizen complaints to the government and they were all ignored for years.

[@GeorgieB1965]

One was just given a compassionate release to home confinement, I believe.

[@poppiarlin5612]

I believe there were two involved in this. My both rot in hell

[@calebfielding6352]

I wonder when was the last time a prosecutor, police officer, or other government employee was held in contempt for comiting obvious perjury on the witness stand.

[@davidh9638]

No reason they should be. The criminal perjury charge should be enough.

[@mustaffa1611]

really close to never happens.

[@dirkhamilton2709]

@@davidh9638 Correct me if I’m wrong, but a judge can’t bring charges for perjury, that has to be a prosecutor. The judge can only cite contempt. If prosecutors decide to cover for lying/corrupt cops there simply won’t ever be any perjury charges.

[@Omniseed]

I wonder when the last time a police officer was prosecuted for perjury? We've all seen plenty of examples of that occupation feeling entitled to lie through their teeth on record

[@Omniseed]

@@davidh9638 if only they were prosecuted for perjury, our criminal justice system would be in significantly better health

[@anthonyburke5656]

As a young lawyer, I appeared before the rudest and most offensive Judge over the lunch break I went back to the office and researched The Law of Contempt, I went back to Court that afternoon and deliberately going to the millimetre short of contempt all afternoon, it cured my aggravation and as the afternoon progressed the Judge started smiling. That Judge and I bumped into each other on the following weekend our wives chatted and we ended up having lunch. I ended up having lunch with him most Wednesdays over the next 3 years until I took a job interstate, it turned out that, in my opinion, he was bored with the bad advocacy he had been burdened with over the previous 2 years since he was appointed. He taught me a lot over our lunches, some of it Law, but more of it being a good lawyer.

[@Andi_Doci]

Aah the power of a judge, helps you assume he was a good person after being a shit bag! Why did you not speak to him face to face and tell him, how does that help a "judge" show character by assuming all lawyers are the same. Unfortunately I believe that he with most power needs to be most competent, rudeness from a judge shows incompetency, especially in a fresh new case. Incompetency not limited to just this sort of actions, much like the topic of the video. If he was bored and needed a pet then he should have known to vacate the bench. Fortunately for him, You were his pet, afterwards I'm sure he was a lot nicer to many other lawyers also. Funny how that works!

[@adventureswitharizonaart6117]

A lawyer that has a personal relationship with the judge is not the lawyer that I want. Seems to be a conflict.

[@PeterOkeefe54]

its never too late for a new career..abandon the dark side Tony

[@tehanua4383]

@@adventureswitharizonaart6117 almost all attorneys have a personal relationship with a judge, or multiple judges. It’s part of the game. DA’s especially

[@Douglas-iz4de]

I’ve sat in on local court rooms before I’m in disbelief of how unimpressive and unprepared most of the attorneys are. They have poor communication skills, are not up to speed on their own case, forgetful of court procedures, they’re not providing useful information to the judge to make it easier for the judge to act appropriately in their favor. The fact that you went right up to the line for contempt showed him that you weren’t asleep at the wheel like most are. Being asleep at the wheel is disrespectful and it happens much to often.

[@benc.enlots]

Send the person to jail because her feelings get hurt.... cowards, the lot of them.

[@jupitercyclops6521]

Tyrants

[@24vignettes94]

The attorney that punched me in the face in a courtroom when I was 19 became a judge and has been fired for unequal application of the law. He is now suing for racial discrimination.

[@TheSegert]

what?

[@j.l.m.6862]

Seems not right, to me.

[@24vignettes94]

When I was 19 a person pulled out in front of me in an old truck and our vehicles collided. He asked me to not to call the police because that vehicle was uninsured. He told me he had a friend with a body shop that would fix the car. He said he would do a great job for me and not charge him too much money. A week later, when I asked about getting my vehicle into his friend's body shop, he informed me that he had spoken to his attorney and that the accident was not his fault and he would not be paying me. I later found out, his son was his attorney. Long story short, I had to sue him, and I represented myself. At that time in Texas, you could have a six-person jury for a small claims court proceeding. When the jury came back unanimous in my favor, his sister began to make a scene. I blew her a kiss. This made him mad and he slapped me. My natural reaction was to slap him back. At that point, he threw a punch. I was telling someone that story several months ago and it prompted me to look him up on Google. Sometime late last year he was suspended and later fired for applying the law unequally based on the demographics of the people in front of him.

[@jupitercyclops6521]

@@24vignettes94 It's so crazy, I iknow it's gotta be true

[@j.l.m.6862]

Laws applied unequally. Men regularly get much harsher sentences for the exact same crime. That doesn't seem right, either.

[@dkozisek]

It always amazes me that government officials get a slap on the wrist for things that the citizenry would be imprisoned for.

[@frankfacts6207]

welcome to the police state. enjoy!

[@paulghignon4092]

@@mvpfocus that's mostly because those appointing these judges to these positions have probably never met them beyond the handshake for a photo op. It's strange to see people promoted by people who have never actually worked next to the person for even a minute. They just look over some paperwork that's been curated to make the person look good.

[@canolathra6865]

These days, I default to distrusting any family court judge. I'm sure there are a few good ones out there, but there are way too many bad ones, so the good ones will have to prove themselves.

[@michaelhenson9507]

As a Louisiana resident, this comes as no surprise. The good ol boy system still reigns supreme. Check out what happened to Travis Heinz for "looking suspicious.."

[@ltlk937]

I heard all i needed when you mentioned she is a family court judge... Every last one of them are evil. Every last one.

[@ltlk937]

Family court is literally the only place where the judge can completely ignore evidence, truth, and the constitution.

[@mikriker3608]

I think any public official who abuse their power should be immediately removed from their position and not allowed in public service again.

[@kitchenengineer1731]

This happens a lot more than people think. Happened to my wife in a child custody case. The case was later overturned by the state supreme court. Judges don't have to be an attorney prior to taking office in this state. Judgeships are an elected position here.

[@neliosamch3195]

Yes. Specially in the cradle of corruption in Chicago.

[@j.l.m.6862]

Huh.

[@frotoe9289]

In my state, Justice of the Peace only requires you have a law degree if you are in one of the two largest counties. Otherwise, any HS graduate can be elected. And often are. And yeah, sometimes you get LOL bad things happening like in Steve's tale.

[@OmniscientWarrior]

you'd think, though the judge are elected, it would require them to have passed the bar or have a law degree.

[@j.l.m.6862]

Or at least have some qualifying experience, such as para-legal.

[@Greshapa]

There should be a zero tolerance policy for these sorts of Judges. They should be held to a much higher standard. Abuse your power, lose your right to be a judge permanantly

[@Omniseed]

And to practice law in any capacity ever again, and a ban on holding any employment or office which has authority over any other person. If she gets a job at McDonald's, there should be criminal prosecution and imprisonment involved if she gets promoted to shift leader. These abuses of power are absolutely that important to curtail.

[@Absaalookemensch]

She abuses power and they giver her a 6 month unpaid vacation. Can I abuse my power? I could use 6 months off too.

[@jupitercyclops6521]

If you have that kind of power, it seems you can indeed abuse it as long as the abused are commoners

[@HappilyHomicidalHooligan]

I would argue that what this Judge did when she ordered the Teacher (who had absolutely NOTHING to do with the Trial) Arrested and brought to her Courtroom was Kidnapping and when she Jailed her, Unlawful Confinement and should be Charged and Tried for both...

[@aprilriley8889]

Hi Steve. Surprised that there was no mention of the Donzinger case for this video or any others you've done (that I could find.) U.S District Judge Loretta Preska sentenced environmental lawyer Steven Donzinger to to six months in prison on contempt charges, on top of the nearly 800 days of house arrest he had already served. The contempt charge arose from his refusal to turn over client-attorney privileged information. Donzinger is being prosecuted by the corporation Chevron because the state of NY refused to take the case. The judge belongs to the Federalist Society who takes money from Chevron. Furthermore, a two-year contempt charge is unprecedented. It would be great if you would cover this in one of your videos. I'd say Donzinger's two-year contempt charge definitely falls into the "abuse of power" category. Thanks.

[@ronvalley1973]

I have never been in jail and am 67 but am I the only one that feels great when I hear that a judge has to go to jail?

[@karlwolfenstein4496]

In 1985 I was in the Navy and witness to a serious car accident. At arraignment I was told I had to be AT the trial in 5 months. I explained that in 5 months I'd be 4 months into a 9 month deployment and be in the Western Pacific Ocean. The judge said he "DID NOT CARE, BE HERE OR GET ARRESTED!" I told my CO and he said forget about it so I did. 11 months later my ship pulls into port and there are 2 Sheriff's on the pier with a Bench Warrant for my arrest. So, the Shore patrol brought me to the Police station and I was arrested, booked and stuck in a little Barney Miller kind of cage where I sat for an hour while the Shore Patrol bailed me out. The police said there was no charges, but the judge was notorious for showing off that he had the authority to have people arrested when they defy this authority, regardless of how long it takes. Even the police thought the whole thing was silly.

[@ebr-fan1117]

This type of abuse of power, and similarly by any government employee, should result in immediate incarceration, just as they do to their constituent citizenry.

[@jupitercyclops6521]

I agree. But that'll only happen if we the people make it happen

[@Metal_Auditor]

Minimum sentence should be the cumulative jail-time that they unjustly caused.

[@ebr-fan1117]

@@jupitercyclops6521 Citizen's arrest statutes need to be utilized by the citizenry, under the reasonable cause to believe standard, just as they do.

[@georgeramirez2264]

Judges and Prosecutors have absolute immunity.

[@kellychristus2496]

@@georgeramirez2264 Incorrect. They have Immunity, but not Absolute Immunity. That kind of immunity is for heads of government, heads of state, and other high offices of government

[@Ashehasawienerdog]

Judges control so much of a persons fate. It’s beyond me why these people aren’t held the absolute most responsible.

[@JohnHenryEdenUSA]

It's amazing that a judge can have a person arrested just because they know their name.

[@orppranator5230]

@@mvpfocus Except being arrested for knowing the judge’s name isn’t one of those things that is necessary.

[@PatronusGaming83]

The idea that a "Judges for Dummies" book exhist is terrifying funny to me.

[@j.l.m.6862]

Those were immensely helpful for hobbyists and small business people adopting technology. I wonder if they stopped making them due to the woke-itis infecting the U.S. of A.? I nabbed a textbook being given away on circuits and circuit design, published by I.T.T. By chance, it just so happened to cover a topic I find interesting, amplifier design and construction. Somebody paid fat dollars for that book, I'm grateful it wasn't destroyed.

[@emrysfevre8087]

A big point Steve made about the "people who vote down there". I live in a small rural community. Its been pretty consistent here, that judges stay in power for as long as their political party is in control of the county... For decades in some cases....in fact our current judge (decades) simply jumped parties when the county started leaning the other way. Additionally he's a homegrown boy from a huge family so....he's related to a LOT of people...in fact he does occasionally recuse himself when, its a first cousin in his court. My point is, scrap like this happens a lot, especially in small communities, especially small poor communities where people don't have the resources to do anything about it. Many years ago I remember when I used to stop for at least coffee every morning before work. I always sat near a large round table in the back. Every morning, the current judge, sherriff, mayor, prosecutor and several lawyers also had breakfast. Together. Discussing cases and making deals. Small town justice....it's not just a cliche.

[@ALusby100]

The errant judge should lose judicial immunity and be charged under 18 USC 242. Due to her egregious conduct she should be disbarred and removed from the bench. Prison is the judge's appropriate punishment. Ignorance of the law is no excuse!

[@kwils6685]

What I want to know is, if her 180 day suspension is with or without pay? Since it wasn't mentioned, I'm going to guess with pay, if the 180 days was without pay they would have mentioned it.

[@rhymeswithorange6092]

@@kwils6685 I believe Steve said it was without pay.

[@kwils6685]

@@rhymeswithorange6092 Really? Thanks for letting me know, I don't understandv how I missed that. I'll have to watch it again.

[@marc-andreservant201]

It's illegal to issue a bench warrant for someone who wasn't served, but it appears in the story that the judge served them verbally and forgot that didn't count. It's an egregious mistake, but it was made under colour of law therefore it's covered by judicial immunity. We can't actually threaten jail time for judges who mess up, because that would unfairly affect judicial decision-making (imagine any child custody case where one side accuses the other of abuse, and the judge doesn't believe them but is liable if they're wrong). The proper remedy for bad judges is appeal courts and impeachment.

[@JohnSmith-ii8pp]

Due Process??? Really? Not in this country, not anymore. Sad but true.

[@jamesharback1760]

Gives me hope!! More judges need to be held accountable for their actions, too.

[@additudeobx]

Gives you hope?? There is but one sacrifice in thousands of violators over decades of years and you view it as hope?

[@PumpkinKingXXIII]

Steve, is it that more judges are getting out of hand or is it just that they are getting more attention due to access to the stories? And Baton Rouge is a top 10 murder city and crime is rampant. Maybe the cops are choosing to serve bench warrants because it’s safer than policing the streets.

[@CptBlackbeardlives]

At this moments there are trials being held all over the country and I'm not attending any of them, sure hope I don't get arrested for it.

[@jamesford8315]

5:55 "She"s where everyone else is who doesn't belong here. She's elsewhere." One of your greatest sentences.

[@TargaWheels]

Sometimes judges let their emotion/mood dictate the outcome of a SUPPOSEDLY fair trial, and the sentencing as well...in favor and against the accused AND/OR the accuser. That happens more than people realize.

[@frankfacts6207]

The police are every bit as responsible for obeying an unlawful order, improper jailing, and, false imprisonment. Ignorance is no excuse.

[@JonathanCable1]

Need to look up Family Court Judge Louise E. Goldston from West Virginia. She went to a person's house and personally searched it without a warrant, threatened the guy with contempt of court, and had the bailiff take away the guy's phone and force him to stop recording on his own property. She was stripped of her judicial immunity and is being sued.

[@billyhills9933]

I did see a video about this. I thought she had a warrant because she signed it herself, it's just that Judges don't have the power to search houses themselves. She tried to claim that they were having a family court session in the house, something that she also can't do.

[@JonathanCable1]

@@billyhills9933 no warrant at all. Said she doesn't need one. Her bailiffs said they don't all the time and would do it again in a heartbeat if she asks, even after being told by the State Supreme Court they cannot do that.

[@fordenginebuildersv8power184]

Back in the 80’s I remember Fed Judge Anna Diggs Taylor ordering US Marshals to go get an attorney and bring him before her court! Lol! She also found me in contempt several times! Paid a fine!

[@northdetroit7994]

I hold the whole government in contempt.

[@brianlee360]

A retired attorney told me once, "the A students in law school become defense attorneys where the $ is, the B students become prosecuters so that someday they'll maybe be able to be a defense attorney...and the C and below students become judges" sounds right in this case....lol

[@babyplaneswalker341]

If you are arrested for something like that which would be a illegal charge or whatever, couldnt you sue for kidnapping and/or false imprisonment?

[@paul.van.santvoord1232]

Judicial immunity., which is more total then cops have.

[@Br3ttM]

You could sue the city/county/state that is involved, and hope that the judge handling your lawsuit isn't friends with the judge who did it.

[@dougray30]

George Carlin used to say "Somewhere in the world is the WORST Doctor. And the sad thing is someone has an appointment to see them tomorrow afternoon."

[@coldlakealta4043]

nobody saw the world, its truths and the way it actually runs more than George Carlin. watch his old videos - the are present day current. a social philosopher disguised as a comic.

[@dougray30]

@@coldlakealta4043 I used to go to sleep listening to Carlin LPs so I have most of his pre-1986 material memorized.

[@mikem3695]

I think it should be mandatory for newly appointed judges to spend a day or two in prison before sitting on the bench. They should have first hand knowledge of what their powers can inflict on regular people.

[@jessedewell]

Prosecutors as well... And I would say even a little bit more than 2 days. U really can't get a feel for it in 2 days.. I strongly believe that if judges and Prosecutors really understood what losing your freedom felt like it would change the sentences they hand out or how vigorously a prosecutor may pursue charges...

[@underduress5761]

Injustice Daniel Molter of Newton County, Indiana ordered a bailiff to seize an investigator that had not committed any crimes but was merely recording in the courthouse while court was not in session. Daniel then placed the court in session and charged the investigator with contempt of court and imprisoned him for 5 days. This was not in the court room and the court was not in session. This is abuse of power. How can a judge be penalized for this?

[@dangeroustoman]

Need to remove qualified amunity away from all public officials.

[@bugalaman]

Don't contempt charges violate the 14th amendment? How is this power even legal in the first place?

[@terrymax5340]

People should have the right to sue a Judge for this .

[@michaelcoll433]

But what happened to the stepmother that was arrested? Did she lose her job? Was the judge sued?

[@dumahim]

I thought this was going to be about the Ohio judge who got suspended indefinitely. Ran her courtroom like a game show.

[@ThunderStruck15]

Think he already did one on her iirc

[@dumahim]

@@mvpfocus he did cover that one. 4 days ago, Bad Judge Removed. It's worth reading up on. The stuff she was doing was insane.

[@nunyabiznez6381]

I'm not a lawyer nor a judge but I was appointed twice for a year each time as a magistrate. It was kind of bizarre. I had been a town councilman elected to two terms and then declined to run for a third because I felt I had accomplished what I was passionate about and the remaining issues I didn't feel strongly about and felt I couldn't really contribute any further to town government. Councilman was a part time job anyways. It was a small town and there were 7 precincts each with it's own councilman. So in that capacity I got to know everyone in town government and a lot of leading citizens in the town, mostly business owners. The bizarre part is that as a person with no legal training, I was asked to accept an appointment to the magistrate's court. It was kind of like the TV show Night Court except it was mostly in the morning. I basically handled very minor cases. I also mostly just processed those cases. I didn't really preside over much in the way of trials. Occasionally little things if both parties agreed to a swift conclusion without a jury and it wasn't too technical. I had a bailiff, a reporter and a clerk and the job of the clerk was basically to tell me what to do next. I had ZERO training. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a judge's school or class. From the first to the last day I felt like I was woefully unqualified for the job. I remember I showed up to court first day and checked in with the clerk. Not MY clerk as they were the clerk for the magistrate's court and the notary public for the police station as well as the legal secretary to the town's solicitor. It was one of those small New England towns where some people wore multiple hats. Theirs was a long term career not an appointment to a specific finite term like what I did. I relied very heavily on their guidance and advice. So basically my "court" was a small room, about the size of my Mom's living room, and I was not on a raised platform but rather I just sat at a long conference table at one end with the clerk to the right and reporter to the left and the bailiff mostly sat on a stool in the corner and sometimes he went out to get refreshments. At the other end of the conference table was the defendant. So basically a typical case might be the police bring in someone for trespassing. He'd been going through the dumpster at a restaurant looking for food and the restaurant had gotten him "trespassed" and he returned so the manager wanted him arrested. In our state the maximum penalty for that was 90 days in jail. So that was a minor case. The clerk would tell me the maximum and minimum bail (yes in some cases there would be a minimum) and then I would listen to what the cop said and then what the defendant said and I'd decide the amount of bail or I could release him without bail and get him to promise to show up for court. Usually there were no lawyers involved. If they hadn't done any damage and it was the first time they had offended I usually told the clerk to have the paperwork written up for me to sign to refer the case to the misdemeanor court to decide what to do with the defendant long term which may or may not result in a trial. The cop would be able to tell me if he'd had a prior record. Then I might order bail or I might just send him home with a promise to show up for all his court dates. I did a lot of traffic cases. The easy ones were the ones where they just wanted to plead guilty and pay their fine. Those I basically just processed. They'd say they were guilty and pay the fine or if it was a hard luck case I might reduce the fine. Then I signed the paperwork that would include having the information sent to the DMV. Sometimes I'd get someone who thought they were Daniel Webster and go on at great length about how traffic laws were a violation of their constitutional rights. Sometimes I'd get someone who had some convoluted defense for why they're not guilty of driving 115mph in a 30mph zone. I think in two years I held maybe a dozen people in contempt and the most I could do was order them held over for a real judge to decide so basically they were taken next door to the police station and put in a jail cell and kept there until the real judge could figure out what to do with them. I would just issue a memo for that judge describing the events and I think once I went into that actual courtroom to tell the judge what the person did. On two of the cases the person apologized from the jail cell and on both of those occasions I went next door after the session was done which could be anything from an hour to five hours and listened to the person apologize and so I ordered them released because all I asked for was for people to be calm and act in an orderly manner. I had zero tolerance for things like screaming obscenities or people calling me an A-hole. Even then if they apologized to the court (by which I mean everyone present) I'd let it slide. I don't think any of them ever spent more than 18 hours in a cell on my account and the average was probably around 8-10 hours.

[@TatharNuar]

A contemptible court.

[@johnpatrick1588]

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

[@joewilson3393]

3:10 I worked in the child support dept in LA County, the criminal prosecution division. I was a file boy, mostly making copies for discovery. Those judges issue tons of bench warrants. There are several hoops that have to be jumped through first, like several attempts to get them to appear, evidence of a proper service, ect.

[@benjaminshropshire2900]

Regarding bench warrants: I once ended up talking to a bailiff during a jury selection (I was a jury candidate) where about 3-4 bench warrants were issued for people called as jurors who didn't show up (there were over 100 people in the pool). The bailiff commented that those warrants would most likely not be actively pursued and, if the person did come into contact with the police, they would most likely just be served with notice that they much appear before the court and explain why they didn't show up in the first place. (I suspect a fair number of people would end up pleading that they never got the notice in the first place.)

[@tony_25or6to4]

Due process. You can't be deprived of property without due process, except for Civil Asset Forfeiture.

[@kevinmatthews7180]

She should have been fired for sending someone to jail like that.

[@katiekane5247]

When the dust settles in S.C. over the Murdaugh mess, they'll certainly be some judges looking to retire. I hope the Feds continue to look into the banking anomalies as well.

[@curtisscott9251]

Such contempt for contempt! Of course, "Family Court" is generally contempt for the LAW itself...

[@sixoaksfarm1556]

Happened here in S Carolina recently too.. Only thing worse than a bad cop is a bad judge!

[@Traderjoe]

If the teacher ended up being embarrassed because of this, I imagine she could sue the judge?

[@sleepib]

Imagine how well it would go if I kidnapped someone and my excuse was "I thought I was allowed to".

[@stepheniestencil8867]

A few of the judges in Waukesha WI family court seriously abuse their power. It's disgusting! They throw out contempt charges for asking questions and things outside of the parents power. The judge in my case accused me of "having an issue with pills" and having a "recent suicide attempt." Neither of which was even close to being true but more importantly, was never brought up at trial the prior month. I had been representing myself (terribly I might add) so all "information" that went to the judge pertaining the case was also supposed to go to me as well. I certainly never received anything stating that I was a suicidal pill popper or I would have disputed it and demanded proof of the outlandish allegations. This happened at a contempt hearing after my 14 1/2 year old son ran away so his abusive father couldn't move him several states away from the only parent he ever knew. I had absolutely nothing to do with him running away but they wanted to throw me in jail for 30 days. The family court system in Waukesha County, along with many many others, are pay to play and if you can't then you don't stand a chance. I had my son ripped from my life for absolutely no reason. No, I take that back. I lost my son because I didn't have money to play their sick game. My son's father's attorney also violated the process numerous times during trial. She brought in significant claims, supposedly from my son's doctor, that were absolutely outlandish and when I objected because it was hearsay the attorney said she had documentation she would provide to me. The judge overruled even though the "evidence" should have been provided 15 days before trial. Not only that, it was never given to me or the court in writing. The steamrolled me. I didn't have a chance because I didn't know what I was doing. The gal severally overstepped her boundaries and became the judge. She somehow gained that power and violated the visitation order without so much as a hearing. I could go on and on. Julie Valadez's case is a pretty good indicator of the corruption in Waukesha. Please look into hers. These judges need to be stopped. They're destroying families.

[@stepheniestencil8089]

Thank you for your reply. I would just like to clear up a couple things. I objected to there not being any documentation of what the Dr supposedly said. The Dr was not a witness on the stand. Something he supposedly said was used without any documentation. He never would have said what they said he did because it wasn't true. I didn't give my son gluten because I didn't care about his Celiac. What I told the Dr was that he wasn't with me 24/7 and I didn't know what he ate when he wasn't with me. There are cheaper or even free attorneys out there... If I had been an abused woman. My son had been abused but it had not been documented through police because I was afraid his abuser would turn around and file for custody and he would then be at his mercy. For example, 4th of July 2012, his father was drinking and got sick of our son bugging him over some glow stick his brother had taken. His father picked him up by his throat, slammed him to the ground, and choked him until I pushed him off. I scooped up my crying son and ran to the car. I was going to call the police as soon as we got home. My son stopped crying and said he was sorry for "making daddy so angry." He blamed himself. I put him to bed then contacted his father to tell him he needed help and that he would not see our son (who he rarely saw anyways) until he got it. The fact that we had been there with his father's whole family and it was just me also played a role. They would have helped cover his butt. Lastly, my son ran away one time. It was the night before his father was to pick him up to take him to FL. He left a note begging his father not to take him. I thought it was a suicide note and immediately called the police when I found it in the morning. He took the large duffle I had packed for him to bring to FL the next day. He snuck out while I was sleeping. No one thought that my son would be taken. I admit, I felt confident that the court would not take away the son I had raised by myself for 14 1/2 years. There had never been any legal trouble, cps involvement, issues with the school (other than Dr excused absences and being tardy a few times), or any neglect or abuse on my end. If I had know how things would turn out, hindsight is 20/20, I would have done anything to get an attorney. As far as an appeal, I tried contacting the court reporter several times a week for several weeks. When she finally got back to me I had less than 10 days to file. She told me that she was swamped. The stimulus money had just been given, so many people could finally afford their transcripts. It had not been my year to claim my kiddos so I did not get the stimulus for them. When she finally reached out to me, she told me it would be $1600-$1800 for the trial and hearing (when the judge brought up my nonexistent pill and suicide issues) transcripts. I was overwhelmed. At this time, the gal was punishing both my son and myself by limiting our ability to speak as well as visit. He was miserable and the gal thought that until he adjusted, we should not be allowed private communication. How was a 14 year old supposed to adjust to being removed from his life several states away? I never told him to be upset or act up. I told him to make the best if it. I told him to look around for the beauty in his surroundings. I told him not to spend his precious time living in the past. I asked him not to count down the days until he could come home but rather live in the moment. They thought that because my son was upset after we would talk that I was telling him to act up. I would never do that. His father had already started abusing him again (this time mentally because my son was big enough to protect himself) why on Earth would I want to make that worse for my son. Anyways, I just wanted to clear that up. It's sad but I'm always in defense mode when it comes to my son. It would have been a completely different outcome had I had an attorney.

[@whendricso]

Justice is dead in America.

[@frankfacts6207]

definitely suspended

[@boikatsapiens499]

Ben on the hood of "71" wing car.

[@chipum2fleming228]

We had a Judge hold the building Maintenance supervisor in contempt and jail him for being unable to separately regulate the courts temperature. She was disciplined for it.

[@professormadlad7773]

I do believe that federal judges should be voted in instead of being appointed.

[@bartman231]

It also sounds like the husband was on active duty/deployment and was protected under the Serviceman’s Civil Relief Act-so he was not even available to be called.

[@YouveBeenMiddled]

Due process... Steve, the problem is that too many local judges have decided *they* _are_ the due process and have no limitations on their actions. See also: Judicial immunity

[@tzarius78]

Should ask your family law friends on how some judges in family courts are clueless on due process.

[@bentinhalf]

I have a feeling there were more than these two problems with the judge. Only 2 were brought to light.

[@finngamesknudson1457]

180 day suspension might be related to her term as judge. Could be counting on her being voted off the bench earlier.

[@atlanticx100]

As I am from the UK. I find electing judges rather odd, to me, it brings politics to where it should not be. On the other hand, it gives more power to the local population. My question would be who finances their campaigns.

[@markhonea2461]

I have said this before and I will say it again. And this has been my experience more than one time, with people very close to me. Well, it goes like this. Have had close friends that are women, and not my girlfriend. I have known these ladies for 10 years or more, and found them reasonable, smart, intelligent, respectable and respectful of others, compassionate, and honest. The list goes on. After some random period of time something about them began to change, and it wasn't good. And it was also very hard to understand. Their usual pleasant and or business-like behavior began to sour. They became increasingly critical of their significant other. And increasingly disagreeable with me, with no explanation other than vindictiveness, and I could not for the life of me determine what I had done to them to justify the treatment I was receiving. I really love these people and not only was this situation confusing, but also hurtful Thank God I was not their poor husband. Both of these women did a Jekyl and Hyde transformation. It was impossible for me to be around them. Ok, so I did the slightest amount of research on the web to try and get to the bottom of this and the result was absolutely obvious and absolutely alarming. The cause was the hormonal spikes and drops of MENOPAUSE. These women were the exact age to experience it. They had ZERO control of their emotions or thoughts, because neither of them were educated about what can happen, not always, but statistically some women will barely notice anything and then there are the opposite individuals that will absolutely lose their freaking mind !!! It can turn into far more than "hot flashes", an obvious physical phenomena that should be taken as an early warning. No one can predict the level of effect menopause will have on each individual. At times they can become a hazard to themselves and/or those around them. Screaming, clawing, punching, lying, hating, and calling the cops are all things I have, unfortunately, been witness to, and even at times involved. Menopause is the elephant in the room, that no one is talking about. On this channel, Steve has reported 3 judges, I think, maybe more, that have been reprimanded or kicked off the bench for their egregious courtroom behavior. Not for some illegal activity or criminal behavior that is typical of the general population. All three of these judges were women. All three of these judges were the right age. All three of these judges, at some time in the past, were upstanding citizens, with impeccable credentials, utmost integrity, highly educated and a vast knowledge of the law, with some type of calm and clear thinking personality that would suggest to others that this individual is worthy of taking on one of the most demanding tasks we have in America. Being a judge can't be easy, and all 3 of these women successfully held this position in good regard for years or decades. Until they changed. It doesn't happen overnight, and the increasingly bad behavior, from the effects of untreated menopause can manifest in many different ways and also be mistaken for work stress, job burnout, marital or family stress and etc. When a judge suffers from untreated and unacknowledged menopause, everybody suffers. It's a truly dangerous situation. And no one appears to get the message. Or maybe it seems misogynistic to bring it up. Or not politically correct. I say- f-uck that!! We need to address the very real problems, dangers, and realities related to menopause. What will happen if a woman becomes president of the United states, and during her four year term enters the menopausal state? What the hell might happen ? Anything could happen!! They might actually be unfit for the office during this period of time. Well, for both of my temporarily insane friends, they both passed through menopause without getting a divorce or killing anyone. Certainly they were the cause of much harm in less tangible ways during that period. It was a total drag, for everyone around them, and at times dangerous. Be aware of MENOPAUSE. If you arent, it may really cause you some grief.

[@ThunderStruck15]

You know that menopause is the equivalent hormonal balance of a man, right? Maybe this is why most violent crimes are committed by men. Yeah, also, all the wars that have been fought, with one or two small exceptions have all been done by men. Astounding that you just fucking forget that, eh? Your gender has committed more atrocities than mine ever will, and you have the balls to accuse us of being unhinged. You’re the insane one.

[@jeffreyhowll1392]

This needs to happen much more often...

[@jefferykeeper9034]

The teacher and the lawyer should be allowed to sue the judge for everything she's got of value.

[@daviswall3319]

I live in downtown Baton Rouge, walking distance from this courthouse. Doesn’t surprise me one bit.

[@LadyAdakStillStands]

Every Judges attitude towards any Defendant always depends on the Judges personal beliefs about the crime(s) and charge(s) at hand. Example: a defendant for simple shoplifting raises their hand to ask a question and they are allowed to do so. However a defendant facing a felony charge raising his hand to ask a question is firmly denied. Judges can be prejudicial bullies.

[@gvet47]

Why do they threaten you with arrest if you do not show up for a jury selection. I have been there and when they call roll I have never seen a judge say go get this guy for not showing up. I now get out of jury duty based on medical conditions.

[@ryanburnham1932]

I Alaska judges are appointed and then confirmed every some many years. I have a problem with this because very few, if any, voters can make an informed decision on the individual because no campaigning is done. The exception to this is that a rare occasions of a very bad judge there will be a campaign against them, but even if they are voted out nothing keeps the Governor from appointing them back to the same position. Also I think District Attorneys should be elected as they play a major role in what cases are prosecuted and which are dismissed; the people should have a voice on that.

[@anonamouse5917]

I hope the judge gets sued for false imprisonment.

[@mellissadalby1402]

I recently served on a jury and I think the judge presiding was super, top notch. I guess I was lucky.

[@Nickle314]

You can't be deprived of your property without due process? Unless its civil asset forfeiture.

[@Opa_Plays]

How are these false imprisonments not kidnapping?

[@rs232killer]

$6K fine and suspended for 180 days for essentially falsely imprisoning someone? Not enough. Add up all the time people were locked up by this judge where it wasn't justified. Put the judge behind bars for that total amount of time.

[@ChristopherMullen58]

Mike Hayden a former governor of Kansas appointed a Sheriff with no law degree to be a district judge in Doniphan County .

[@carlasmith2105]

Ridiculous! I hope they didn't arrest her in front of the kids. Why this judge doesn't serve time for her "contemptuous behavior" is beyond contemplation.

[@Nickle314]

So who pays the damages? The judge, the police?

[@rulebreakersvictoriabc]

I didn't think that was possible.

[@RaineStudio]

If it's so obvious that a judge should refer a contempt case to another judge, why isn't it the rule? The answer is that judges need to immediately enforce decorum and order. If they have witnessed the misconduct themselves, they are in the best position to deal with it.

[@RustyorBroken]

I did not appear in court for that case either. I wonder if I have a warrant.

[@pathfinderlight]

You know it's bad when Louisiana has higher judicial standards than Texas and Connecticut.

[@groermaik]

Hundo, unfolded, across the hood of the#71 Daytona, on the right center of the top of the main cabinet. 1.7k+.

[@ChiefMac59]

No judge can be the judge, prosecutor, and jury at the same time. That is plainly unconstitutional. That judge should be locked up for her crimes

[@dennisharvey8179]

Would that woman be able to sue the state or the judge since what was done to her.

[@ioio5993]

Why do we - the tax-paying general public have to tolerate such judges or really any public servant abusing their office? There are enough qualified folks available, such that the bad apple should be removed and tossed aside (they had their opportunity and they screwed it up). Find a new person and appoint them to the position. It is the judicial commission or the supreme court just disrespecting - we the people. They are not royalty. We should not have to tolerate this type of crap.

[@jimmieburleigh9549]

She should also be jailed for false imprisonment and her and the district sued the same in civil court

[@joelwerre]

You were right about the dark color t-shirts Steve.

[@stephengray1585]

Sounds like the teacher has a lawsuit in her future, crazy if she doesn't do it.

[@RiverRat-2112]

"...She's had issues with it before..." Why was she not shown the door the first time?

[@tap_here_to_text]

⭐⭐⭐

[@bartfoster1311]

Knowing the legal system, I would bet she is suspended with pay for 6 months!

[@purdue98]

Steve, you should run for Judge.

[@hannahalice1000]

A Judge should never be the person to adjudicate a contempt of their own making. They are both the complaining party AND their own witness

[@kamilegier4730]

Judges should not be giving any leeway when following the law or rules. She should, at a minimum, have been permanently removed from the bench.