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Judge holds woman in contempt for wearing offensive T-shirt
Chicago Sun Times ^ | 5/6/2010 | BETH KRAMER News Sun

Posted on 05/06/2010 11:45:19 AM PDT by FeliciaCat

A Round Lake Park woman was held in contempt and jailed because a judge found a message on her T-shirt offensive. Associate Judge Helen Rozenberg held Jennifer LaPenta, who was attending a hearing in a friend's case, in contempt of court for wearing a T-shirt that read: "I have the p----, so I make the rules."

The judge asked LaPenta, 19, if she thought her shirt was appropriate.

LaPenta said she told the judge that it would have been inappropriate if she had been the defendant.

"They should be out looking for people who are breaking the law, not arresting someone wearing a T-shirt," said LaPenta, 19. She was released from Lake County Jail on Tuesday.

LaPenta said she had been at a gym Monday when her friend asked her for a ride to the courthouse. She was wearing sweat pants and the T-shirt when she was handcuffed and jailed

(Excerpt) Read more at suntimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: court; donutwatch; tshirt
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To: FeliciaCat

Change “have” to “am” and it is Obama’s shirt!


41 posted on 05/06/2010 12:24:08 PM PDT by SparkyBass
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To: for-q-clinton

Isn’t she the one David Letterman was fooling around with?


42 posted on 05/06/2010 12:24:24 PM PDT by I cannot think of a name
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To: FeliciaCat

probably rolled into the court room wearing crotch-less panties too... what is that smell?


43 posted on 05/06/2010 12:28:14 PM PDT by Trajan88 (www.bullittclub.com)
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To: MrB
The general truth is, though, men act as badly as women allow them to.

My version of that is:

Men lead...where women guide them.

44 posted on 05/06/2010 12:28:51 PM PDT by Tex-Con-Man
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To: truthguy

Lighten up your honor.”

It is inside a court room.

I agree with the judge.

Bad enough to see it out on the street.


45 posted on 05/06/2010 12:28:53 PM PDT by ridesthemiles
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To: FeliciaCat

She obviously does not make the rules.


46 posted on 05/06/2010 12:30:01 PM PDT by Thurston_Howell_III (Ahoy polloi... where did you come from, a scotch ad?)
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To: MrEdd
And nobody forced the brain dead idiot judge to practice law in a country where due process is required of even judges.


You don't know much about the law do you?

A judge, within his (her's) courtroom has a lot of authority on what happens with in it, up to and including what you are wearing.

Any time I have been called for jury duty they were very clear on what is appropriate to wear. What is appropriate for the street is not necessarily appropriate inside a court room.

47 posted on 05/06/2010 12:33:09 PM PDT by CIB-173RDABN
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To: MEGoody

The judge is a she.

Specifically, what law was violated.

Most people might tend to simply ask the person to leave. By the article judge Helen skipped ahead to locking someone whose clothing she dissaproved of in jail.

While the media often creates a false impression, they do not do so more often than egotistical judges do stupid crap.

The media didn’t give us Kelo vs. New London.


48 posted on 05/06/2010 12:33:48 PM PDT by MrEdd (Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.)
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To: MEGoody

*There is a certain level of respect and decorum that is expected in a courtroom.*

I’ve heard worse ideas expressed by defense attorneys, so try another line of reasoning.


49 posted on 05/06/2010 12:34:13 PM PDT by j-damn
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To: for-q-clinton
I guess freedom of speech doesn’t apply in the courthouse.

There is certainly no freedom of speech in the courtroom. People speak only when allowed to by the judge. A witness may be interrupted when she goes off track. Words that are said can be unsaid if the judge instructs the jury to forget them.

50 posted on 05/06/2010 12:37:32 PM PDT by Greysard
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To: Pravious
If I was the young woman, I would have offered to take the offensive shirt off — right there and then.

Scroll up.

Look at that picture. If she took off that shirt, the fat jiggling alone would cause a barfathon in the courtroom.

Talk about offensive!

51 posted on 05/06/2010 12:39:34 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd (PALIN/MCCAIN IN 2012 - barf alert? sarc tag? -- can't decide)
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To: for-q-clinton

“GUILTY”

I wonder if Laz would hit it?


52 posted on 05/06/2010 12:40:13 PM PDT by Old Grumpy
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To: WakeUpAndVote

And you went through the pain to black out the word. Look at the reply just above yours.


53 posted on 05/06/2010 12:40:25 PM PDT by Arrowhead1952 (Remember in November. Clean the house on Nov. 2. / Progressive is a PC word for liberal democrat.)
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To: FeliciaCat
LaPenta said she told the judge that it would have been inappropriate if she had been the defendant. "They should be out looking for people who are breaking the law, not arresting someone wearing a T-shirt,"

I have to agree with her on that... The judge should of just asked her to leave the court as shirt could be called disruptive

54 posted on 05/06/2010 12:43:21 PM PDT by tophat9000 (It ain't about Black... It ain't about White...It's about a Red...Trying to take our rights!)
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To: MrEdd

You win the prize for the stupidest post of the day. Congratulations.


55 posted on 05/06/2010 12:49:43 PM PDT by Lucas McCain (Why do so many people say "could care less" when they really mean "could NOT care less"?)
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To: WakeUpAndVote

That was very thoughtful of you to edit the picture.

The girl is very young.

Some young people have no cares to the impression they make.

I dont think she is unattractive though.

The t shirt is lame/dumb and doesnt reflect well on her charactor but theres always hope.

Usually having a first child that you truley love and cherish wipes out allot of selfish vanity.

I am willing to bet she didn’t even think about what t shirt she was wearing untill the Judge brought it to attention.


56 posted on 05/06/2010 12:49:53 PM PDT by Global2010 (We have De Humanized our Society because we have De Christianize our society. Fr.Corapi)
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To: FeliciaCat

I agree that the shirt was not appropriate for court, but a decent judge would have told her to leave, or cover it up. If she refused, or even protested, THEN contempt of court would be called for.

I don’t have a lot of respect for a woman who would wear such a shirt, but I have 100 times LESS respect for such a vindictive, power crazed judge.


57 posted on 05/06/2010 12:50:05 PM PDT by Above My Pay Grade
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To: CIB-173RDABN
You don't know much about the law do you?

You don't now much about reading the article before posting, do you? And you aren't big on the concept of abuse of power not being the preferred method of behavior either.

The woman in question brought someone to the court. She was not summonsed, she was merely a member of the gallery. A simple please leave from the judge might have been appropriate locking the woman up was not.

The principles you are championing belong in the Obama camp, not among conservatives. I have zero problem opposing the idiot judge, and any like minded idiot who believes her behavior was appropriate.

For the record, I also oppose no knock raids and the idiot judges who sign off on them. I will probably continue to offend the idiots who defend those judges too.

Deal with it.

58 posted on 05/06/2010 12:51:10 PM PDT by MrEdd (Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.)
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To: Lucas McCain

Those who support arbitrary jailings always think those who demand due process is stupid.

It keeps people like you from having to defend their positions in a debate.

Doesn’t it?


59 posted on 05/06/2010 12:54:34 PM PDT by MrEdd (Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.)
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To: N3WBI3

>>>Don’t confuse he T-Shirt for freedom of speech... There should be some decorum in a court room... I don’t thing going right to arresting for contempt is wrong but hey, the woman showed very poor judgement.<<<

Yes, but the judge showed even poorer judgment and, bing a judge, her job and duty is to exercise judgment.

Any even slightly reasonable judge would have simply ordered her to leave the courtroom and not return unless she was wearing something appropriate. The judge works for the citizens, and should have some respect for her bosses. IMHO, the judge belongs in jail for abuse of power.


60 posted on 05/06/2010 12:55:03 PM PDT by Above My Pay Grade
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