Posted on 07/14/2006 8:18:56 PM PDT by Mount Athos
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.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
If the judge is a born again Christian, no chance of that happening. He may or may not be, but you can't tell from this story.
But at the point where he was aquitted the trial was effectively over and then there's the no small matter of the judge not letting him simply apologise and leave. Instead he locks him up in jail after there is no more trial to disrupt.
And you know he's not saved, how? Certainly not from the story. Or have you elevated yourself to ultimate Judge?
Not saying the judge was right, mind you, but, sheesh!
"Izzy" you "Dunne" now?
You make a cogent point. Much better than "The judge obviously hates God, but would have okayed praising Allah."
(Go Israel, Go! Slap Down Em Hezbullies!)
I've heard more than one lawyer complain about the arrogance of judges.
I tried to google up more background on the case, but can't find anything except this story. It would be interesting to see what it was really about. While I generally respect jury verdicts, juries have been known to acquit a person against overwhelming evidence (O.J. Simpson) just because they didn't like the law/cops/judge etc. Of course, many folks have been bad-rapped by false witnesses and overzealous prosecutors on "child abuse" charges.
Be curious to know if the victim was actually abused by someone, or if this is just a case of a parent spanking a kid and being charged.
Count me among those. Doesn't mean I would relegate them to the seventh circle of hell for it, but I've entertained the thought. :-)
Power trip.
"the judge had ordered both sides not to show emotion when the verdict was announced"
I have heard that judges do this often to keep control in the court room. I guess in the past there has been screaming of curse words on whichever side won. I guess this guy could not control himself.
Everybody says he didn't comply because he didn't get the order (for whatever reason).
The judge finally figured that out, or was told.
I think it's likely they would be more supportive if many judges didn't have such a history of abusing their authority for what uaually appears to be arbitrary reasons. It seems like they are more interested in setting up their little kingdoms and set their personal agendas using the power they've been entrusted with, than doing their jobs. Problem is, the good judges never make the news so it's hard to know that they're out there.
Another thing is, this guy may not have thought thanking Jesus was a display of emotion as much as an act of thanksgiving or praise. I guess it would be a matter of what you considered displaying emotion and that sounds pretty vague and subjective. Wide open to interpretation by the judge. Another might have let it go.
I remember that joke.
Unfortunately I can't laugh at the moment. I'm kinda in an overwhelme mode. Seems we are on a 'liberal legal' theater and it has me a bit nervous.
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