Judge jails entire courtroom over ringing phone - GoFuckYourself.com

Sarah_Jayne · 11-28-2007, 03:48 AM

Judge jails courtroom over ringing phone

A US judge has been sacked for jailing an entire courtroom audience after none of them admitted responsibility for a ringing phone.

Judge Robert Restaino was presiding over a domestic violence case in the city of Niagara Falls, reports the BBC.

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 this week, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct recommended the removal of Judge Restaino for "two hours of inexplicable madness" in 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.

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.

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.

The judge's lawyer, Terrence Connors, said he would exercise his right to appeal the decision within 30 days. He will remain in office during that time.

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2616717.html

kryptx · 11-28-2007, 03:53 AM

Haha. I can just imagine being the guy with the phone. "What's he gonna do, throw us all in jail?"

Damn right he is. I bet the fucker feels bad now. The judge is definitely the larger of the two idiots, though.

V_RocKs · 11-28-2007, 03:55 AM

We all have bad days.... good thing he doesn't work for Xerox or the Post Office.

gandalfuy · 11-28-2007, 05:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by V_RocKs

We all have bad days.... good thing he doesn't work for Xerox or the Post Office.

calibra · 11-28-2007, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by V_RocKs

We all have bad days.... good thing he doesn't work for Xerox or the Post Office.

Indeed!

minusonebit · 11-28-2007, 05:59 AM

In cases like this, there should be a provision for the state to shun responsibility for lawsuits and place it on the person so responsible. I hope the judge winds up paying the verdicts of all the people who sue the state due to his stupidity.

BOSS1 · 11-28-2007, 06:00 AM

power tripping at its best?

cool1 · 11-28-2007, 06:04 AM

good for the judge

Sarah_Jayne · 11-28-2007, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by V_RocKs

We all have bad days.... good thing he doesn't work for Xerox or the Post Office.

minusonebit · 11-28-2007, 06:16 AM

BBC did a much better report on this topic, by the way. As usual. Foreign media often reports domestic affairs much more throughly.

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

minusonebit · 11-28-2007, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cool1

good for the judge

Yeah, the wholesale violation of the civil rights of an entire group people is a good thing. You fucking idiot. You're proof that - contrary to what some like to assert - there were plenty of idiots on this forum back in the good 'ole days of 2001 as well.

If I were one of the people arrested, I'd make damn sure that the judge was held accountable for such stupid actions. Hell, a bunch of people now have criminal records who probably did not have them before that day. Fingerprints on file, subjected to invasive search. Its a great lawsuit, I hope plenty of people filed.

rowan · 11-28-2007, 07:06 AM

Reminds me of school days. "I can sit here as long as it takes, we're all staying back until someone owns up"

Wilbo · 11-28-2007, 09:00 AM

I would be insanely pissed if I was one of the innocent people locked up. That judge could count on a very large and drawn out law suit from me, especially if I missed Oprah.

SmokeyTheBear · 11-28-2007, 09:35 AM

sad fact is the taxpayers will wind up paying all the lawsuits..

it is amusing but imagine you had a child at home waiting for you, or a loved one in the hospital.

i wonder if this judge is buddies with that judge that sued the dry cleaners for like 50 million for wrecking his pants

QTbucks_Mark · 11-28-2007, 09:44 AM

Unbelievable...

G-Rotica · 11-28-2007, 09:48 AM

Most judges are power hungry as it is. This one just let his appetite show.

Trixie · 11-28-2007, 09:48 AM

Meh. Obviously JAILING everyone is out of control, but all someone needed to do was fess up or point out the person whose phone was ringing. There had to be at least three people in there who knew who it belonged to or knew where the ringing was coming from.

Frankly I think it's fucked up that people have so little respect for what happens in court that they leave their stupid little devices on or at the very least aren't apologetic when their personal bullshit interrupts courtroom proceedings. The fact that the cell phone owner was willing to let everyone suffer such crappy consequences, wrongly meted out or not, rather than step up and admit it was his or hers, is more disturbing, I think. I don't get why people aren't more mad at that person than the judge.

The judge should have just fined everyone.

GAMEFINEST · 11-28-2007, 09:49 AM

this is a publicity stunt ..

BerdoR · 11-28-2007, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by minusonebit

If I were one of the people arrested, I'd make damn sure that the judge was held accountable for such stupid actions. Hell, a bunch of people now have criminal records who probably did not have them before that day. Fingerprints on file, subjected to invasive search. Its a great lawsuit, I hope plenty of people filed.

tranza · 11-28-2007, 09:57 AM

Lol, that's just insane!!

pornguy · 11-28-2007, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by minusonebit

Yeah, the wholesale violation of the civil rights of an entire group people is a good thing. You fucking idiot. You're proof that - contrary to what some like to assert - there were plenty of idiots on this forum back in the good 'ole days of 2001 as well.

If I were one of the people arrested, I'd make damn sure that the judge was held accountable for such stupid actions. Hell, a bunch of people now have criminal records who probably did not have them before that day. Fingerprints on file, subjected to invasive search. Its a great lawsuit, I hope plenty of people filed.

TRUE. And very sadly in some states they will have to go through proceedings to get the arrest expunged. And that costs money.

candyflip · 11-28-2007, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by V_RocKs

We all have bad days.... good thing he doesn't work for Xerox or the Post Office.

The Xerox shootings weren't done by an employee as far as they know.

tenletters · 11-28-2007, 10:45 AM

Welcome to Earth... results not typical; your experience may vary.

halfpint · 11-28-2007, 10:47 AM

Sometimes Judges make very bad mistakes...silly man

11-28-2007, 03:48 AM	#1
Sarah_Jayne Now with more Jayne Industry Role: Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 40,077	Judge jails entire courtroom over ringing phone Judge jails courtroom over ringing phone A US judge has been sacked for jailing an entire courtroom audience after none of them admitted responsibility for a ringing phone. Judge Robert Restaino was presiding over a domestic violence case in the city of Niagara Falls, reports the BBC. 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 this week, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct recommended the removal of Judge Restaino for "two hours of inexplicable madness" in 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. 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. 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. The judge's lawyer, Terrence Connors, said he would exercise his right to appeal the decision within 30 days. He will remain in office during that time. http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2616717.html

11-28-2007, 03:53 AM	#2
kryptx Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 30	Haha. I can just imagine being the guy with the phone. "What's he gonna do, throw us all in jail?" Damn right he is. I bet the fucker feels bad now. The judge is definitely the larger of the two idiots, though. __________________

11-28-2007, 06:00 AM	#7
BOSS1 Confirmed User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Montreal / Sparta Posts: 4,331	power tripping at its best? __________________ NEW SITE: Stockings Kingdom Lesbians in Latex, Lesbians in Stockings, Granny Sex, BDSM Porn, Latex and Sex, Custom Foot Fetish, Femdom Movies and Kinky Porn Pass. 300+ hosted flvs, 500+ hosted galleries, Page Peel ADs.. NATS export and payouts twice a month

11-28-2007, 09:35 AM	#14
SmokeyTheBear ►SouthOfHeaven Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: PlanetEarth MyBoardRank: GerbilMaster My-Penis-Size: extralarge MyWeapon: Computer Posts: 28,609	sad fact is the taxpayers will wind up paying all the lawsuits.. it is amusing but imagine you had a child at home waiting for you, or a loved one in the hospital. i wonder if this judge is buddies with that judge that sued the dry cleaners for like 50 million for wrecking his pants __________________ hatisblack at yahoo.com

11-28-2007, 09:44 AM	#15
QTbucks_Mark Confirmed User Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Europe Posts: 254	Unbelievable... __________________ QTbucks : featuring cherrywinters.com - sweetcarry.com - cutecaroline.com [email protected] :: ICQ 26505638

11-28-2007, 03:55 AM	#3
V_RocKs Damn Right I Kiss Ass! Industry Role: Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Cowtown, USA Posts: 32,428	We all have bad days.... good thing he doesn't work for Xerox or the Post Office.

11-28-2007, 05:59 AM	#6
minusonebit So Fucking Banned Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: [email protected] Posts: 7,391	In cases like this, there should be a provision for the state to shun responsibility for lawsuits and place it on the person so responsible. I hope the judge winds up paying the verdicts of all the people who sue the state due to his stupidity.

11-28-2007, 06:04 AM	#8
cool1 sex is good Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Carman, MB Canada Posts: 24,939	good for the judge

11-28-2007, 06:16 AM	#10
minusonebit So Fucking Banned Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: [email protected] Posts: 7,391	BBC did a much better report on this topic, by the way. As usual. Foreign media often reports domestic affairs much more throughly. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7116426.stm

11-28-2007, 07:06 AM	#12
rowan Too lazy to set a custom title Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 17,393	Reminds me of school days. "I can sit here as long as it takes, we're all staying back until someone owns up"

11-28-2007, 09:00 AM	#13
Wilbo Confirmed User Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Baltimore Posts: 2,082	I would be insanely pissed if I was one of the innocent people locked up. That judge could count on a very large and drawn out law suit from me, especially if I missed Oprah.

11-28-2007, 09:48 AM	#16
G-Rotica Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 4,258	Most judges are power hungry as it is. This one just let his appetite show. __________________

11-28-2007, 09:48 AM	#17
Trixie Confirmed User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: near Seattle, WA Posts: 1,850	Meh. Obviously JAILING everyone is out of control, but all someone needed to do was fess up or point out the person whose phone was ringing. There had to be at least three people in there who knew who it belonged to or knew where the ringing was coming from. Frankly I think it's fucked up that people have so little respect for what happens in court that they leave their stupid little devices on or at the very least aren't apologetic when their personal bullshit interrupts courtroom proceedings. The fact that the cell phone owner was willing to let everyone suffer such crappy consequences, wrongly meted out or not, rather than step up and admit it was his or hers, is more disturbing, I think. I don't get why people aren't more mad at that person than the judge. The judge should have just fined everyone. __________________ WebWhoreBucks: Girls, a guy and a tranny -- unique indie porn!

11-28-2007, 09:49 AM	#18
GAMEFINEST Make STACK$ Industry Role: Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: sexy time Posts: 14,477	this is a publicity stunt .. __________________ Compound interest.

11-28-2007, 09:57 AM	#20
tranza ICQ: 197-556-237 Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: BRASIL !!! Posts: 57,559	Lol, that's just insane!! __________________ I'm just a newbie.

11-28-2007, 10:45 AM	#23
tenletters Confirmed User Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: the deep south Posts: 2,079	Welcome to Earth... results not typical; your experience may vary. __________________ Useless Without Pics

11-28-2007, 10:47 AM	#24
halfpint GFY's Halfpint Industry Role: Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: UK Posts: 15,223	Sometimes Judges make very bad mistakes...silly man __________________ Get FREE website listings on Cryptocoinshops.net