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Judge jailed entire court...

Discussion in 'The Intelligence Cell' started by frog_face, Nov 28, 2007.

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frog_face

A judge in US for jailing an entire courtroom because a mobile phone went off and no one admitted it.

A US judge has been removed from the bench for jailing an entire courtroom audience after none of them admitted being responsible for a ringing phone.

Judge Robert Restaino was presiding over a domestic violence case in the city of Niagara Falls in March 2005.

A commission on judicial conduct said Judge Restaino had acted "without any semblance of a lawful basis" and behaved like a "petty tyrant".

The judge has said he was under stress in his personal life at the time.

He has 30 days to appeal against the commission's decision.

In its ruling on Tuesday, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct recommended the removal of Judge Restaino for what its chairman called "two hours of inexplicable madness" on the morning of 11 March 2005.

It said the 48-year-old judge had been presiding over a series of domestic violence cases when he heard a mobile phone ring and "snapped".

"Every single person is going to jail in this courtroom unless I get that instrument now," he told the courtroom's audience, according to the commission.

"If anybody believes I'm kidding, ask some of the folks that have been here for a while. You are all going."

Security officers then attempted to find the phone but failed.

After a brief recess, Judge Restaino returned to the bench and again asked who had been responsible for the ringing phone.

When no-one came forward, the judge ordered that the entire courtroom audience of 46 people be taken into custody and set bail at $1,500.

"This troubles me more than any of you people can understand," the judge explained.

"This person, whoever he or she may be, doesn't have a whole lot of concern. Let's see how much concern they have when they are sitting in the back there with all the rest of you," he added.

"Ultimately, when you go back there to be booked, you've got to surrender what you got on you. One way or another, we're going to get our hands on something."

One defendant, according to the report, told the judge: "This is not fair to the rest of us."

"I know it isn't," Judge Restaino replied.

The audience and defendants were then taken to Niagara City jail, where they were searched and packed into crowded cells.

Fourteen people who could not post bail were later shackled and transported to another prison.
Click to expand...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7116426.stm

Are all judges bonkers, or was this a good thing to do? I guess they should have been lucky that they they weren't in Texas...

frog_face, Nov 28, 2007

#1
Ritch

Sounds like he needs to come over to this country and preside over some cases, the rest would do him good.

Ritch, Nov 28, 2007

#2
Drummer_Boy

Good to see that innocent before being proven guilty is alive and well inthe land of the free!

Not that our upto date, in touch with reality, judiciary is any better!!

Drummer_Boy, Nov 28, 2007

#3
jon752

Only in America......

jon752, Nov 28, 2007

#4
headlikeajerrycan

Good luck to the bloke, should have given them all 40 lashes as well.

headlikeajerrycan, Nov 28, 2007

#5
Murphy_Slaw

Was he called Mohammed?

Murphy_Slaw, Nov 28, 2007

#6
scuba_angel

Assuming over there will be the same as the UK where phones should be turned off, then it sounds a reasonable thing to do. Although the bail seems a little unfair on the 14 who couldnt pay it.

scuba_angel, Nov 28, 2007

#7
jon752

scuba_angel said:

Assuming over there will be the same as the UK where phones should be turned off, then it sounds a reasonable thing to do. Although the bail seems a little unfair on the 14 who couldnt pay it.
Click to expand...

I'm sure are judges ain't that stupid. Though I'm sure you have to turn you're phone of before you enter a court room.

jon752, Nov 28, 2007

#8
Jockster915

roadster280 said:

OK, who did that? Noone going to own up? Right you fcukers, get your fcuking rifles over your heads. Move to the right in threes, by the front, quick march, breaking into double time, double march....

Ah yes, the basic unfairness of collective punishment makes it so very effective....
Click to expand...

Roadster couldn't agree more. Now was it really such a bad thing and could society learn something?

Jockster

Jockster915, Nov 28, 2007

#9
Mr Happy Moderator

Judge John Deed did that the other day!

Mr Happy, Nov 28, 2007

#10
geezer466

Cases in Blackpool

There have been a couple of occasions where this has occurred in Blackpool in the last fortnight before a District Judge.
The scrotes in question dared answer their own mobiles whilst stood in the dock.

One hung up immediately whilst the other decided to have a conversation with his mate keeping the court waiting.

Needless to say he was 'escorted' downstairs for a few hours to cool off, whilst he thought over his apology..

How can people be so stupid as not to realize?

geezer466, Nov 28, 2007

#11
Ritch

Well, he's finally released them, and got sacked in the process.

Clickity

Ritch, Nov 30, 2007

#12
Werewolf

jon752 said:

scuba_angel said:

Assuming over there will be the same as the UK where phones should be turned off, then it sounds a reasonable thing to do. Although the bail seems a little unfair on the 14 who couldnt pay it.
Click to expand...

I'm sure are judges ain't that stupid. Though I'm sure you have to turn you're phone of before you enter a court room.
Click to expand...

Even allowing for your Mong spelling - do you really believe the senile, bleeding-heart old farts we've got are any better?!

At least the Septics can vote for their judges, and kick them out when they fcuk up. We are stuck with the useless cnuts until they do the decent thing and die.

The only Judge I respect is Judge Dredd!

Werewolf, Nov 30, 2007

#13
gobbyidiot

People have all kinds of ideas about the judiciary when they have rarely, if ever, seen them in operation. When you've seen a few civil trials, where they aren't being taped and think they can do what they like, you realise what a lot of them are actually like.

My cop pal got it about right - "They sit there all day going, "You get to buggery, you go to jail, you ......"

Remember the old saying, "Almost any man can stand adversity. if you want to test a man's character give him power".

think that's true, and you see the truth of it every day in the forces.

gobbyidiot, Nov 30, 2007

#14
Werewolf

gobbyidiot said:

People have all kinds of ideas about the judiciary when they have rarely, if ever, seen them in operation. When you've seen a few civil trials, where they aren't being taped and think they can do what they like, you realise what a lot of them are actually like.

My cop pal got it about right - "They sit there all day going, "You get to buggery, you go to jail, you ......"

Remember the old saying, "Almost any man can stand adversity. if you want to test a man's character give him power".

think that's true, and you see the truth of it every day in the forces.
Click to expand...

I have seen them "in action". I worked security at a High Court. I remember one case where a trial had to scrapped and a retrial ordered, at the cost of at least £100,000....because a judge fell asleep during the trial!

Werewolf, Nov 30, 2007

#15

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