Posted on 07/17/2006 1:37:36 PM PDT by sasha123
HONOLULU — Junior Stowers raised his hands and exclaimed, "Thank you, Jesus!" in court last month when he was acquitted by a jury of abusing his son. But his joy was short-lived when Circuit Judge Patrick Border held him in contempt of court for the "outburst" and threw him in jail. Stowers, 47, sat in the courtroom and a cellblock for about six hours until the judge granted him a hearing on the contempt charge and released him. The judge at a July 7 hearing dropped the contempt charge, a petty misdemeanor that carries up to 30 days in jail. Stowers couldn't be reached for comment. But his attorney in the contempt case, Deputy Public Defender Susan Arnett, said he wasn't treated fairly. "I don't think there's anything about saying 'Thank you, Jesus' that rises to the level of contemptuous behavior in this case," she told The Honolulu Advertiser. Stowers is a devoutly religious man active in his church who spontaneously expressed his thanks to the higher power in which he believed, she said. Family members and Stowers' pastor at Assembly of God Church, Iakopo Sale, who watched from the gallery were "very upset that those words could land somebody in jail," Arnett said. Border declined to comment but indicated the court minutes reflected his actions. The minutes showed he found Stowers' "nonverbal gestures and outbursts to be disruptive and improper regardless of content." Court minutes said Border later dropped the charge because he realized Stowers' trial lawyer, Deputy Public Defender Carmel Kwock, did not have time to tell Stowers the judge had ordered both sides not to show emotion when the verdict was announced. Stowers, of Honolulu, was charged with hitting his 15-year-old son with a broomstick in January.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,204013,00.html
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Violation of his First Amendment rights.
I now hold that judge in contempt. Not that my opinion makes much difference, but heck - the judge earned it.
I swear I've seen this posted like a dozen times...
He was forewarned not to make any outbursts in the court when the verdict was made. It was not about Jesus, it was about being warned by the judge and the individual not listening. This man could have said "big jumping beans!!!" and got contempt of court.
The cost of being human?
Maybe he should have shouted "Allahu akbar".
I'm sure the "judge" would have had no problem with that.
.
I don't know. As a Christian I would say this would be subjective. From what I am reading it isn't what he said but what he did along with it. And there are times it is improper to jump around with joy..especially if it kept the proceeding from going forward until the theatrics were under control.
Just to clarify that he really didn't know he was supposed to stay quiet.
I know a judge that has a policy that if your cell phone goes off in court that you get a 50.00 fine. She had signs made and posted - but, for some strange reason, it doesn't apply to her cell phone.
Funny how that works.
lol
Court minutes said Border later dropped the charge because he realized Stowers' trial lawyer, Deputy Public Defender Carmel Kwock, did not have time to tell Stowers the judge had ordered both sides not to show emotion when the verdict was announced.
If anything, his lawyer should have been jailed for contempt for not passing along the judge's warning.
Broomstick? Is the son's name Harry Potter?
Umm, no, he wasn't. :"Court minutes said Border later dropped the charge because he realized Stowers' trial lawyer, Deputy Public Defender Carmel Kwock, did not have time to tell Stowers the judge had ordered both sides not to show emotion when the verdict was announced."
Border later dropped the charge because he realized Stowers' trial lawyer, Deputy Public Defender Carmel Kwock, did not have time to tell Stowers the judge had ordered both sides not to show emotion.Didn't have time? More likely the attorney figured it was unnecessary to tell a 47-year-old that there's such a thing as proper courtroom decorum.
Sounds like this guy's beneath contempt...
At least once anyway.
No doubt the response to THAT would have been, "Hey pal, you ever thought about attending law school? We could use a few guys like you!";)
Well, at least we know it's covered, sorry abou that...
I guess the Judge was mad he didn`t say "Allah Akabar".
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.