Judge holds lawyer in contempt of court for advising his client to remain silent

Saigyouji

No, Mr. Post, you are not more important than the Fifth Amendment.

ClockworkUniverse

Before clicking, I was expecting this to be the judge trying to exploit the fact that the fifth technically only means you can't be compelled to incriminate yourself (which doesn't work anyway), but no, actually the judge is just nuts.

Hatter

RAGE

HATE AND RAGE

All Nines

I admire the lawyer's handling of that situation; I wonder how many lawyers would have kept their cool as well--especially newer ones--when shut down in such an aggravating manner. He did a great job defending his client.

If anyone ought to be charged with contempt of court, it's the judge.

Wicked223

"black robe syndrome". fun phrase I just learned. 

Hatter

Is that the one where you shoot lightning out of your fingers and rule a brutal pan-galactic empire?

All Nines

^^ Black Robe Syndrome is one of those things that looks like it would be a sweet band name, but would actually be really showy and reeking of trying too hard. Certainly an amusing phrase, though.

captainbrass

Wow - this reads like an extract from a Law and Order script, rather than something that actually happened.

Having said that, sometimes defence lawyers genuinely do need to stand up to bad judges. I once read an example from a book on advocacy involving the late 19th/early 20th century barrister Edward Carson and the judge chairing some public inquiry who wouldn't let him cross-examine witnesses, meaning he basically couldn't do his job. IIRC it ended (roughly) as follows:-

Carson - "My Lord, I must ask leave to withdraw. I will not prostitute my position by remaining before an English High Court judge when I am not able to effectively represent Lord X (his client)"

Judge - " I am not sitting as a judge."

Carson - (in loud whisper) "Any fool can see that."

He then left. 

Firebert

Phoenix Wright is more correct than this.

ClockworkUniverse

^I'm going to go offtopic for a second do point out that Phoenix Wright is a parody of the Japanese legal system. So it's not really trying to represent the US legal system very well.

Your point stands, but...just wanted to mention that >.>

Firebert

Yeah, just trying to exaggerate how wacky this is. =P

Central Avenue

God that's stupid.

The worst part is that the judge probably won't face any consequences for this, either.

Gelzo

I'm not sure how you can say "probably won't" unless you missed the last part of the article, have more legal expertise than that, or are very pessimistic.

glennmagusharvey

from the comments section:

Another example of the Federal government disregarding the Constitution which they were SWORN to uphold. This bum's been on the bench so long he thinks his opinion means something.

Bret, hes a state judge And in Michigan, judges are elected by the PEOPLE (means you).

Pwned.

 

I still think that some people think that political ideology drives actions, which is why they think that others are ideologically out to do bad things.  Protip: nope.

Central Avenue

I'm not sure how you can say "probably won't" unless you missed the last part of the article, have more legal expertise than that, or are very pessimistic.

That last one. People in positions of authority have a tendency to get away with much more than they should, even when it's clear they're in the wrong.