[quote=AOL](Aug. 10) -- As Clifton Williams sat in the courtroom in Joliet, Ill., awaiting his cousin's sentencing on drug charges, little did he know he would soon be the one in jail.
As Judge Daniel Rozak sentenced Williams' cousin to two years probation, Williams yawned, an act that earned him six months in jail on contempt charges, the Chicago Tribune reported.
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Williams' father said he was "flabbergasted" by the sentence, the maximum issued for a contempt charge without a jury trial. "It seems to me like a yawn is an involuntary action," Clifton Williams Sr. told the newspaper.
The court disagreed. While Rozak did not comment on the charges, a state's attorney's office spokesman, Chuck Pelkie, said Williams did not let out a "simple" yawn. "It was a loud and boisterous attempt to disrupt the proceedings," he said.
According to the Tribune, Rozak is particularly fierce on courtroom decorum, issuing contempt-of-court charges at the highest rate of any judge in the county. The broad discretion of judges to control their courts has prompted Rozak to file contempt charges against people for everything from swearing to not silencing their cell phones.
However, some of the people Rozak assigned harsh sentences to were shown leniency if they apologized.
Williams will have to serve as least 21 days, the Tribune reported, and he has been locked up since July 23. In a letter to his family, Williams wrote, "I really can't believe I'm in jail."[/quote]
I lol'd
[url]http://news.aol.com/article/clifton-williams-jailed-for-yawning/610205?icid=main|main|dl1|link1|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Fclifton-williams-jailed-for-yawning%2F610205[/url]
The judge ought to be shot.
Loud and boisterous attempt to disrupt proceedings or not, six months in jail for yawning is inexcusable.
Well yeah, it's illegal to disrupt court cases, and it puts you in contempt of court if you do it on purpose.
Fucker should've just covered up.
[B]Edit[/B]: I agree with JohnnyMo, though. The sentence is way too fucking long and he should've just been fined or something.
What the hell?
Couldn't finish reading, the article was a bit tiring.
And besides, he wasn't jailed for simply yawning, but for an intentionally disruptive, disrespectful yawn.
"what are you in for bud"
"yawning"
"wat"
That is fucking sad.
tl;dr man gets arrested for yawning in a court room
It was probably one of those dick moves done on purpose to disrupt the place.
And if not cover it with your hand.
Over reacted though, should have just kicked him out
This is something you'd expect from a middle eastern country
dammit can't think of a funny news pun so it'll earn me lots of funny ratings and i'll probably get banned cause it's so bad.
Am I the only one that knows how to stop a yawn?
[QUOTE=BJK;16609158]Couldn't finish reading, [b]the article was a bit tiring.[/b]
And besides, he wasn't jailed for simply yawning, but for an intentionally disruptive, disrespectful yawn.[/QUOTE]
ahahahahahaha i get it
kill the judge.
Haha, I yawned the second I opened this thread.
if it was a "loud and boisterous attempt to disrupt the proceedings" Then yeah, Piss that guy off in contempt
If not, fuck that judge
Seems like the judge got a little powertrip thing going on there.
He deserved it.
Murderers in for 10, yawners in for 6.
That's abuse of power
fucking judge should have his license stripped
Should have been issued a warning and if he continued, been given the sentence.
But that is excessive without warning.
[QUOTE=DrMortician;16609556]Should have been issued a warning and if he continued, been given the sentence.
But that is excessive without warning.[/QUOTE]
Half a goddamn year in jail is excessive WITH warning.
Hmm...Texas?
[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;16609566]Half a goddamn year in jail is excessive WITH warning.[/QUOTE]
It depends on how disruptive and annoying he was being.
If it was a quaint unintentional yawn or exaggerated to be a dick.
And this is why every country in the world hate the USA.
[QUOTE=MongfromKong;16609166]tl;dr man gets arrested for yawning in a court room[/QUOTE]
thank you now i don't have to read that long article
Even in most cases of disruptions (the ones where the person is yelling and shouting) people usually get removed from the room. In the most extreme case people receive a sentence. The Judge needs to be put in his place. Nothing wrong with putting a person in line after an abuse of power.
[QUOTE=wanabeGmoder;16609619]And this is why every country in the world hate the USA.[/QUOTE]
Yeah. God damn yanks yawning all over the place.
[QUOTE=wanabeGmoder;16609619]And this is why every country in the world hate the USA.[/QUOTE]
A+ post
"Baby jailed for being born. More at 11"
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