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[goodcow]

http://www.local6.com/news/4396722/detail.html

LOS ANGELES -- A juror was cited for contempt and fined $1,000 by a judge for yawning loudly while awaiting questioning in an attempted murder trial. The fine later was reduced to $100.

The yawn came after the man, identified as Juror No. 2386 in an April 1 court transcript, had been sitting in a courtroom for two days as part of jury selection.

"You yawned rather audibly there. As a matter of fact, it was to the point that it was contemptuous," Superior Court Judge Craig Veals said.

"I'm sorry, but I'm really bored," the juror said.

"I'm sorry?" the judge responded.

When the juror repeated his statement, he was admonished by the judge for having a "lousy" attitude.

"Your boredom just cost you $1,000 I'm finding you in contempt," Veals said. "Are you quite so bored now?"

The judge later called the yawn disruptive.

"I can't run a court when I have someone behaving the way you did," Veals said.

The juror paid the fine after it was reduced to $100. Ultimately, he was questioned but not selected for the trial.

 

[demi]

*yawn*

 

[ChrisReid]

Good deal.

 

[Escape Goat]

Is this Judge Judy?

 

[tedtropy]

I wonder what he'd fine a person for letting one rip in court. Would he determine the fine based upon duration or severity of odor? Hmm...

 

[Dan]

I wonder what he'd fine a person for letting one rip in court. Would he determine the fine based upon duration or severity of odor? Hmm...

Are you being sarcastic or did you only read the thread title? The juror was pretty clearly being contemptuous. It's not like it was some natural yawn that the judge went crazy over.

Whether that's worth a fine, eh, I don't know, but the dude was being a douche either way.

 

[Drozmight]

damn activist judges.

 

[fennec fox]

I wonder what he'd fine a person for letting one rip in court. Would he determine the fine based upon duration or severity of odor? Hmm...

Well I got two dententions (on two separate occasions) for farting loudly in freshman geometry class. So it's probably happened.

Man, that teacher was a douche. The rest of the class loved me, though.

 

[Outcast2004]

i think he got fined for being snotty back to the judge more than anything.

 

[Gek54]

The dude was a dick for yawning outloud, I would have kept it at 1000.

 

[heavy liquid]

The dude deserved it. You'd think it would be common sense not to act like a jackass while on trial for attempted murder.

 

[FightyF]

100 = a slap on the wrist
1000 = 2 slaps on the same wrist
Being barked at by Judge Judy = PwNage2daMAx

 

[galeninjapan]

Fuck that, I awn all the time. Im talking at least 30 times in a 50 min class.

 

[Ecrofirt]

Are you being sarcastic or did you only read the thread title? The juror was pretty clearly being contemptuous. It's not like it was some natural yawn that the judge went crazy over.

Whether that's worth a fine, eh, I don't know, but the dude was being a douche either way.

Dan, let me ask you something. Were you in the room with this man when he yawned? If you were and you have the opinion that the yawn was "not like it was some natural yawn" that's perfectly fine. Otherwise, you can't really make your argument.

What we know from the story written is that the man yawned, and the judge found this yawn to be "contemptuous". There are variables we don't know. Perhaps this man has a habit of yawning loudly, and he inadvertently yawned loudly in court. Perhaps he was yawning loudly on purpose. From the story, you can't tell. You also can't tell from the written words whether the man was being sincere or not when he made his apology. Maybe the judge was having a bad day? From the text, the judge seemed like more of an asshole. But that's how I perceived it. Maybe the man was clearly being a dick and the judge did the right thing. From the text, I can't tell.

 

[Dan]

Read the article. The guy's waiting to be questioned during jury selection. He loudly yawns. Then he mouths off about how bored he is.

Sorry, the guy was a dick. The very fact that the man didn't dispute the situation is revealing. He didn't go "oh sorry, I'm tired, that didn't mean anything." No, instead he complained about the process once, and again when the judge warned him.

The quote of the judge asking about the yawn sounds pretty damned fair to me. The judge didn't flip out. She gave him a chance to apologize or explain it, whatever, and he made his point clear.

Perhaps this man has a habit of yawning loudly, and he inadvertently yawned loudly in court. Perhaps he was yawning loudly on purpose. From the story, you can't tell.

His next comments make it pretty damned clear what the story was.

 

[Willco]

Yeah, the guy was a dick, WHAT FUCKING ARTICLE DID YOU ALL READ?

 

[pnjtony]

Sure the guy was a bit of a dick for repeating that he was bored...but the judge didn't have to bring attention to it in the first place. On top of that...this guy was yanked from his life to possibly be a juror. He didn't ask for that....and now he's actually having to PAY for that. It's bullshit really.

 

[FightyF]

It's bullshit really.

What you consider bullshit I consider SWEET JUSTICE.

 

[AstroLad]

Sure the guy was a bit of a dick for repeating that he was bored...but the judge didn't have to bring attention to it in the first place. On top of that...this guy was yanked from his life to possibly be a juror. He didn't ask for that....and now he's actually having to PAY for that. It's bullshit really.

Well, as much of a pain in the ass as it may be, it's a state law obligation, so he wasn't really doing anyone a special favor.

 

[pnjtony]

Justice of what?

 

[Lindsay]

His response was rude but yawning is a natural outcome of being bored. Stupid guy and stupid judge.