Posted on 03/27/2007 7:40:46 AM PDT by nin_kasi
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A Circuit Court judge pulled a handgun in his courtroom after a man jumped a railing and punched a handcuffed defendant accused of molesting his son.
Bailiffs eventually took control of the attacker during Friday's outburst, and Circuit Judge John Merrett handed his gun to a clerk for safekeeping. The judge met with the father in his chambers and later ordered him released without bail, even though he was charged with a felony and two misdemeanors.
The man is not being named to protect the identity of his son.
Merrett said Monday he never put his finger on the trigger or pointed the gun at anyone.
Because of the way his courtroom is configured, the judge said he couldn't see the fight below his bench. He said he pulled the gun as a precaution.
"I didn't know if he was going after me or the bailiffs or the defendant," the judge said.
Duval County Public Defender Bill White questioned the safety of allowing judges to carry guns. He said he plans to talk to the chief judge about disarming the judges.
Merrett, who has a license to carry a concealed weapon, committed no crime, State Attorney Harry Shorstein said.
Merrett was presiding over a court hearing for Derrick Kendall McNiel, 21, who has been charged with molesting a child.
A police report said the father landed several punches and threatened to kill McNiel. It took five bailiffs to restore order.
No one could blame the father. We can only imagine how he felt at his son being molested at the hands of this pig. I'm glad the judge did the right thing.
Why not just put the gun back in your robes Judge? It was pretty safe there to start with!
Don't those bailiffs ever take coffee breaks?
The most idiotic statement I have ever seen, but this is from the bottom-feeder that has to defend this scum.
the father should have ended the molestation career of that perp...and the bailiff should have turned their backs...
Typical liberal BS byline. waaaaaaaa, I want no one to have the ability to defend themselves...Waaaaaa, I would rather people die while they wait for zee state police...waaaa!
This is why I resent liberalism, they have zero respect for life or liberty and no respect of each of us as citizens...to them we are all wards of the state.
After the incident in GA last year where a defendant ran wild and killed a bailif and a judge, what's the problem with the judge being armed?
Best line of this thread!! Bravo!!!
"Most" would be pushing it, but there is no doubt this guy is an idiot.
A judge with a gun would have been just the ticket, for the Brian Nichols situation in Atlanta.
Sniveling little snot nosed whiner, if anyone should be trusted with a gun in the courtroom it's the judges you idiot...
Court room judges should not be allowed to carry firearms or have any other special protection not afforded private citizens. Judges should live in the same circumstances that they impose on citizens. If citizens must go unarmed judges should go unarmed.
No guns for judges.
Insanity. Why don't we also handcuff judges and put them in front of defendents?
After all, they might defend themselves with their fists.
Florida's CCW law explicity states that judges can carry in the courtroom."
They literally want to see the entire human race exterminated, so that Gaia Earth can proceed unmolested by us.
So what's one life, to them?
I have know a number of judges, and lawyers who carry for defensive purposes. I have taught, and performed some modifications to their weapons to make them more reliable or easier to manage. Every one of them knows what it means to maybe have to defend themselves or others at some time or another, none of them hope it ever happens, but they are prepared if it does.
"Gentleman, there will be order in my courtroom." - Jack Warden: The Verdict
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