Ochocinco goes from probation to 30 days in jail after attorney butt slap...

[WMR]

Epic facepalm...

[Razor Shines]

http://the-op.com/images/prof/barry.jpg This guy knows you don't butt slap a lawyer.

[WVRed]

http://www.gamba.cl/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/jesus-facepalm.jpg

[Wonderful Monds]

I honestly think that was a BS move by a rookie judge trying to make a name for herself.

[Sea Ray]

I honestly think that was a BS move by a rookie judge trying to make a name for herself.

I agree and I think she'll shorten it to something less than 10 days too.

I do question how Chad was dressed. No suit, no sportcoat, no tie and shirt untucked. I think that showed more disrespect to the court than his antics. After seeing the video his demeanor was serious and subdued the whole time.

[Chip R]

I wouldn't mind that judge calling me into her chambers though.

[RedFanAlways1966]

I agree and I think she'll shorten it to something less than 10 days too.

I do question how Chad was dressed. No suit, no sportcoat, no tie and shirt untucked. I think that showed more disrespect to the court than his antics. After seeing the video his demeanor was serious and subdued the whole time.

This is typical Chad. Always the goofball and always seeking attention. Guess what, Chad? This is a courtroom and you are facing time in jail. Time to grow up and act like an adult... or face jail. I applaud the judge. This is not about a 15 yard penalty or a fine by Goodell. Court (CRIMINAL COURT) is serious stuff. Chad has A.D.D. or is just stupid. And being stupid in court might get you more than a 15 yard penalty. But in his not so smart fashion he figured a plea deal between his attorney and the prosecutor was a done deal and he could do something CUTE. Wrong! He will have some time to grow up. And hopefully he will mature and learn not to assault other people while sitting in jail.

BTW... I used to be a huge Chad fan. No agenda against him. But stupid is as stupid does.

[fielder's choice]

Funny that you liked Chad when he was scoring td's for your team, now he's just another goofball who deserves to be in jail because he wasn't acting mature enough for you and this awful woman behind the bench. I'm sure it's not because he's black though.

[dougdirt]

Funny that you liked Chad when he was scoring td's for your team, now he's just another goofball who deserves to be in jail because he wasn't acting mature enough for you and this awful woman behind the bench. I'm sure it's not because he's black though.

That is an awfully big leap to make.

[dougdirt]

For the record, this judge is on a power trip with this move.

[RedFanAlways1966]

Funny that you liked Chad when he was scoring td's for your team, now he's just another goofball who deserves to be in jail because he wasn't acting mature enough for you and this awful woman behind the bench. I'm sure it's not because he's black though.

Funny you paint with a mile wide brush and seem clueless about me. Paint on young Van Gogh!

:lol:

[MWM]

Funny that you liked Chad when he was scoring td's for your team, now he's just another goofball who deserves to be in jail because he wasn't acting mature enough for you and this awful woman behind the bench. I'm sure it's not because he's black though.

Really? I mean, REALLY?

To my knowledge he wasn't hitting women when he was playing in Cincinnati. But hey, feel free to defend him and show us all how non-racist you are. I'm sure the women of the board appreciate it.

[WVRed]

Funny that you liked Chad when he was scoring td's for your team, now he's just another goofball who deserves to be in jail because he wasn't acting mature enough for you and this awful woman behind the bench. I'm sure it's not because he's black though.

I didn't think it would be possible to use the Jesus facepalm twice in the same thread, but it's looking pretty likely.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

[WMR]

It's excessive, but you don't play around like that in a courtroom as a defendant in a criminal case.

[redsfandan]

I agree and I think she'll shorten it to something less than 10 days too.

I do question how Chad was dressed. No suit, no sportcoat, no tie and shirt untucked. I think that showed more disrespect to the court than his antics. After seeing the video his demeanor was serious and subdued the whole time.

I agree that it should be cut it down to 10 days or even just 1 day. Yeah, it's important to take things seriously when you're in court. He slipped up and jumped the gun. Does that really call for 30 days? Was he really trying to disrespect the judge? It didn't look like it to me. And while he wasn't in a suit it's not like he was in sweats either. If he's in jail for more than a week it'll be a mistake. Say what you want about Chad but I bet there's alot of people that deserve his spot in jail more than he does for slapping his lawyers butt.

[redsfandan]

This is typical Chad. Always the goofball and always seeking attention. Guess what, Chad? This is a courtroom and you are facing time in jail. Time to grow up and act like an adult... or face jail. I applaud the judge. This is not about a 15 yard penalty or a fine by Goodell. Court (CRIMINAL COURT) is serious stuff. Chad has A.D.D. or is just stupid. And being stupid in court might get you more than a 15 yard penalty. But in his not so smart fashion he figured a plea deal between his attorney and the prosecutor was a done deal and he could do something CUTE. Wrong! He will have some time to grow up. And hopefully he will mature and learn not to assault other people while sitting in jail.

BTW... I used to be a huge Chad fan. No agenda against him. But stupid is as stupid does.

Such a poor choice of words.

[bucksfan2]

I agree that it should be cut it down to 10 days or even just 1 day. Yeah, it's important to take things seriously when you're in court. He slipped up and jumped the gun. Does that really call for 30 days? Was he really trying to disrespect the judge? It didn't look like it to me. And while he wasn't in a suit it's not like he was in sweats either. If he's in jail for more than a week it'll be a mistake. Say what you want about Chad but I bet there's alot of people that deserve his spot in jail more than he does for slapping his lawyers butt.

Justice should be blind. It shouldn't matter if you wear an Armani suit or a short sleeve shirt. The judge should be able to see past that. Now if you want to talk about juries and how a well dressed defendant does as opposed to a scrub that is a different story.

I wonder if this judge would have had a problem if Chad patted his attorney on his back. If this judge felt strongly enough that Chad's actions were inappropriate she could have held him in contempt of court. She did not and went on a power trip which is scary when you consider there are other people whose livelihoods may be based upon her decisions.

[fielder's choice]

Really? I mean, REALLY?

To my knowledge he wasn't hitting women when he was playing in Cincinnati. But hey, feel free to defend him and show us all how non-racist you are. I'm sure the women of the board appreciate it.

Pretty sure we weren't talking about hitting women, chief.

[MWM]

Pretty sure we weren't talking about hitting women, chief.

We were talking about Chad Johnson, who pleaded no contest to hitting a woman. I'm pretty sure that's exactly what we're talking about.

Just seems bizarre to me that one would suggest race is the only reason why people may have a problem with Chad given that he's in trouble for hitting a woman.

[RedFanAlways1966]

Such a poor choice of words.

Sorry, dan. I should have typed always seeks attention. No disrepsect intended!

[dougdirt]

I agree that it should be cut it down to 10 days or even just 1 day. Yeah, it's important to take things seriously when you're in court. He slipped up and jumped the gun. Does that really call for 30 days? Was he really trying to disrespect the judge? It didn't look like it to me. And while he wasn't in a suit it's not like he was in sweats either. If he's in jail for more than a week it'll be a mistake. Say what you want about Chad but I bet there's alot of people that deserve his spot in jail more than he does for slapping his lawyers butt.

My whole problem is that disrespect shouldn't be punishable by law, except for in the cases where you are warned you will be held in contempt and then continue. That clearly didn't happen here. He didn't say or do anything directed toward the judge.

[RedFanAlways1966]

My whole problem is that disrespect shouldn't be punishable by law, except for in the cases where you are warned you will be held in contempt and then continue. That clearly didn't happen here. He didn't say or do anything directed toward the judge.

But that court is run by that judge, That judge has all the jurisdiction in that room. And, as Chad discoverd, that judge has the right to determine the punishment for violation of probation. Make no mistake that Chad's attorney warned him over-n-over to be careful and do not do anything "cute". We all know how Chad is and so does any semi-intelligent attorney. Chad, in his infinite wisdom, thought it was a done deal and decided to be cute. The judge thought he was making a mockery of the whole thing (court, domestic violence, probation violation) and decided Chad was not getting it.

Say Chad calls his attorney a super mother-****** (in the positive street way of saying it). Not towards the judge, but still making a mockery of a serious thing (criminal court, domestic violence, probation violation). Same sort of thing, right?

Court does not have rules like some sports where you get a warning. And this was not contempt of court that landed him in jail (do not confuse the matter). HE VIOLATED PROBATION and that is punishable in this case by up to 1 year in jail. He oughta be thankful that his stupidity only got him 30 days.

I like to think that he will be released early (good behavior, etc). I also hope he has learned from all of this. Be very careful of who you marry. Never get yourself in a position to be charged with domestic violence. Never VIOLATE PROBATION. Never act the fool in any judge's court. He will probably land another reality show b/c of all this and end up rich(er)... ain't modern TV great lol?

[texasdave]

My whole problem is that disrespect shouldn't be punishable by law, except for in the cases where you are warned you will be held in contempt and then continue. That clearly didn't happen here. He didn't say or do anything directed toward the judge.

That judge was totally out of line. There was giggling in her courtroom. The horror of it all. 30 days in jail for some giggling? Does anyone think that punishment fit the "crime"?

[New York Red]

I honestly think that was a BS move by a rookie judge trying to make a name for herself.
I disagree. Chad got what he deserved. He was there on a domestic abuse charge and he slaps his lawyer on the butt? That shows you he wasn't taking this seriously at all. He's always been an idiot, and obviously he still hasn't matured a bit.

[New York Red]

That judge was totally out of line. There was giggling in her courtroom. The horror of it all. 30 days in jail for some giggling? Does anyone think that punishment fit the "crime"?
I absolutely do. If he was there on a traffic violation, I might agree with you. But he was there on a much more serious charge. This isn't anything to laugh about or take lightly. I have a lot more respect for that judge than I have for Chad Johnson.

[Yachtzee]

I don't know. That looked like a pretty fancy courtroom, so maybe they have plenty of space at their jail. The courts I've worked in just don't have the jail space to waste for a judge to decide to send someone to jail for 30 days instead of other sanctions over a butt slap. Even the most hardcore judges I know would have just had him taken into custody, cuffed, and made to sit in the courtroom through the rest of the day's proceedings to put a scare in them. Actual jail time is reserved for those with bad records and those who repeatedly get hit with contempts for consistently failing to follow court orders. I have a feeling the judge was making an example of Chad and wouldn't have done the same if it was some nameless nobody with a relatively minimal record and is otherwise a productive member of society.

[TSJ55]

I disagree. Chad got what he deserved. He was there on a domestic abuse charge and he slaps his lawyer on the butt? That shows you he wasn't taking this seriously at all. He's always been an idiot, and obviously he still hasn't matured a bit.

I also "liked" the comment NYR was rebutting concerning the judge making a name for herself. The two aren't mutually exclusive.

Chad is certainly a fool and always has been. He just matched up w/ someone who's ego is as large as his this time. Even if he has to do the entire 30 he'll not learn. A month in timeout won't hurt him.

[Sea Ray]

I absolutely do. If he was there on a traffic violation, I might agree with you. But he was there on a much more serious charge. This isn't anything to laugh about or take lightly. I have a lot more respect for that judge than I have for Chad Johnson.

In fairness to Chad, he wasn't giggling. He didn't break a smile. He was stoic in the video clip I saw

[The Operator]

Pretty sure we weren't talking about hitting women, chief.Take it to the Politics forum. I'll even give you a link: http://www.redszone.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=36

[dougdirt]

But that court is run by that judge, That judge has all the jurisdiction in that room. And, as Chad discoverd, that judge has the right to determine the punishment for violation of probation. Make no mistake that Chad's attorney warned him over-n-over to be careful and do not do anything "cute". We all know how Chad is and so does any semi-intelligent attorney. Chad, in his infinite wisdom, thought it was a done deal and decided to be cute. The judge thought he was making a mockery of the whole thing (court, domestic violence, probation violation) and decided Chad was not getting it.
That is my point though. Judges shouldn't just be able to do what they want. Slapping someone on the butt, who isn't taking it as a sexual harassment type of situation, is not against the law. It shouldn't warrant jail time. It shouldn't warrant anything because it is not against the law to do it. The judge then took that action and decided that what she and the prosecutor had previously agreed on for his punishment for the crime he did commit was not good enough. Sorry, but your not-breaking-the-law actions shouldn't change that. This judge, and plenty of other judges go too far in their power trips with things like this.



Say Chad calls his attorney a super mother-****** (in the positive street way of saying it). Not towards the judge, but still making a mockery of a serious thing (criminal court, domestic violence, probation violation). Same sort of thing, right?
Saying that to your lawyer is not making a mockery of any of those things because it has nothing to do with those things.



Court does not have rules like some sports where you get a warning. And this was not contempt of court that landed him in jail (do not confuse the matter). HE VIOLATED PROBATION and that is punishable in this case by up to 1 year in jail. He oughta be thankful that his stupidity only got him 30 days.
The thing that landed him in jail was the slap of the butt of the lawyer. Before that, the judge and prosecutor were on board with his plea deal and it didn't have jail time included. The judge then changed it because Chad slapped his lawyer on the butt. It is a power trip, pure and simple. Being stupid shouldn't get you in jail if being stupid isn't breaking the law. Chad whatever his last name is, in this instance that led to the jail time, didn't break the law. The laws that he did break were agreed upon for him to "serve his time" outside of jail in other ways as service to the community. It was the butt slap that got him in jail and that isn't against the law.

[RedFanAlways1966]

That is my point though. Judges shouldn't just be able to do what they want. Slapping someone on the butt, who isn't taking it as a sexual harassment type of situation, is not against the law. It shouldn't warrant jail time. It shouldn't warrant anything because it is not against the law to do it.

But, doug, the judge decides the sentence for violating probabtion. Not the prosecutor. You are missing that important fact. Judges can do what they want in their court and are only limited by maximum sentence time for a specific crime when sentencing. And this a part of the reason we have an appeals process in this great country. Judges are human too. You do not agree with the jail time. I do and so does the judge. Chad is in jail b/c he violated probation. He would have never been in that court (again) if not for the stupidty of violating probation. Then to be a jackwagon3 with the butt slap (jackwagon1 = guilty of domestic violence ; jackwagon 2 = probation violation) showed he is not getting it to the judge.

You can more flies with honey than vinegar. Acting the fool just prior to a sentence being handed down is a prime example of this old saying. When facing jail you had better show seriousness in that court or face sitting in jail. And guess what? FOOLISH, Chad. Stay away from domestic violence and slap as many friendly butts as ya want.

[fielder's choice]

We were talking about Chad Johnson, who pleaded no contest to hitting a woman. I'm pretty sure that's exactly what we're talking about.


No, we really weren't. We were talking about him slapping his lawyer on his ass. That's it. Some of you think he deserves to go to jail for that. I disagree.

[MWM]

No, we really weren't. We were talking about him slapping his lawyer on his ass. That's it. Some of you think he deserves to go to jail for that. I disagree.

I understand you wanting to veer off course. I never said he deserved jail time. You were reacting to people's attitudes in general around CJ. You suggested race was behind it. As I said, that seemed bizarre to me given that he was in trouble for hitting a woman.

[New York Red]

No, we really weren't. We were talking about him slapping his lawyer on his ass. That's it. Some of you think he deserves to go to jail for that. I disagree.
He's not going to jail for butt slapping his lawyer. He's going to jail for disrespecting the judge and her courtroom. He's hardly the first person to get some time in jail for this reason. He's getting what he deserves.

[MWM]

He's going to jail for hitting a woman. How is that getting lost here?

[dougdirt]

He's going to jail for hitting a woman. How is that getting lost here?

Because he isn't going to jail for that. Until he slapped the butt of his lawyer, the judge and prosecutor were on board with a sentence that included no jail time. Then the judge lost her mind over some perceived disrespect and sent him to jail. Yes, his record will always show that he went to jail for hitting a woman, but the only reason he will be in jail is because he slapped his lawyer on the butt and the judge got mad about it.

[dougdirt]

He's not going to jail for butt slapping his lawyer. He's going to jail for disrespecting the judge and her courtroom. He's hardly the first person to get some time in jail for this reason. He's getting what he deserves.

Disrespecting someone should never be grounds for going to jail. Ever. Doing actual harm to someone, sure. Hurting someones feelings? Get over it crybaby.

[Wonderful Monds]

Disrespecting someone should never be grounds for going to jail. Ever. Doing actual harm to someone, sure. Hurting someones feelings? Get over it crybaby.

He's going to jail for not kissing the ring, basically.

But I'm glad we're all okay with with appointing one person judge, jury and executioner in our courtrooms.

[MWM]

Because he isn't going to jail for that. Until he slapped the butt of his lawyer, the judge and prosecutor were on board with a sentence that included no jail time. Then the judge lost her mind over some perceived disrespect and sent him to jail. Yes, his record will always show that he went to jail for hitting a woman, but the only reason he will be in jail is because he slapped his lawyer on the butt and the judge got mad about it.

He's in trouble because he's a wife beater. Period! He's going to jail for 30 days after hitting a female who he was married to. Why are people so concerned about 30 days.

If he was in the court for shoplifting and slapped his attorney on the butt, nothing would have happened. Spousal abuse is a VERY serious charge. It was as much about the seriousness of the offense as anything else.

But keep focusing on the judge if you'd like.

[dougdirt]

He's in trouble because he's a wife beater. Period! He's going to jail for 30 days after hitting a female who he was married to. Why are people so concerned about 30 days.

If he was in the court for shoplifting and slapped his attorney on the butt, nothing would have happened. Spousal abuse is a VERY serious charge. It was as much about the seriousness of the offense as anything else.

But keep focusing on the judge if you'd like.

Again, the judge was on board for the plea deal that he and the prosecution agreed to before he slapped the butt of his lawyer. The plea deal had no jail time involved. He is in jail because he slapped his lawyer on the butt, not because of him hitting a woman.

If the judge, before any of it happened, had said I am not down with this plea agreement, you are going to jail for 30 days, I would be perfectly fine with that. But that isn't how it happened. The judge was all aboard the Chad Whatevermylastnameisnow gets to plea out to no jail time with community service until he slapped his lawyer on the butt, then her feelings got hurt about it and she sent him to jail.

I am focusing on the judge because the judge acted like a 10-year-old on a power trip because she felt like someone disrespected her.

My stance is, you shouldn't be able to send someone to jail because they disrespected your emotions without a threat of something physical (something like "I will kill you" is an emotional thing that comes along with a physical threat). That is exactly what happened here though.

[MWM]

He is in jail because he slapped his lawyer on the butt, not because of him hitting a woman.


Honestly, I'm dumbfounded by this. I don't get it at all.

[dougdirt]

Honestly, I'm dumbfounded by this. I don't get it at all.

Then you weren't paying attention.

Let's try this nice and easy.

The judge and the prosecutor were on board for a plea deal that Chad whateverhislastname is would not serve jail time. Then the judge took offense to Chad smacking his lawyer on the butt and changed her mind about the deal. If Chad had never done that, he wouldn't be in jail. Therefor, Chad is in jail because he slapped his lawyer on the butt.

[MWM]

I was paying attention. I understand the arguments you made. I don't remotely agree and can't imagine worrying more about that than a guy hitting a woman. I understand what was agreed upon and that she changed her mind and why, but the charge was a very serious one and he was acting like a *****. You're saying because X happened, he's going jail. Had X not happened, he wouldn't be going to jail, therefore X is why he's going to jail. But X to you is the slap on the butt. If you insert "hit his wife" into the same equation, it still holds. Had he not hit a woman, he wouldn't be going to jail. That your X happened after the previous act doesn't change the calculus. If he doesn't hit his wife, he wouldn't even have been in the position where he needed lawyering to keep him out of jail. So in my mind, the only thing that could have guaranteed he didn't go to jail for the crime would have been not to do it in the first place. That's the most logical equation here, not the one you're getting behind.

He obviously wasn't taking the process seriously. I'm not saying she should have done what she did, but I don't blame her.

The guy hit a woman and people don't seem to care about that, but only that a judge pulled a little rank. Big freaking deal. In the world of hitting a woman vs a judge sending someone to jail for all of 30 days because she's on a little power trip, I know which one makes me angry. The guy abused his wife and he's going to jail for 30 days. Boo freaking hoo. But to each their own I guess.

[dougdirt]

No. He was in trouble with the law because he is a piece of crap who hit a woman. He is in jail because he slapped his lawyer on the butt.

I wouldn't care at all if he was sent to jail for hitting a woman. He should be. But that isn't what happened. He was sent to jail because the judge thought he was being disrespectful and that is a bunch of horse crap. Being disrespectful isn't reason to send one to jail unless it comes tied with a physical threat as well.

[TSJ55]

Wow, I'm stumped over the wasted energy in this thread. Chad is a complete zero of a human. Seems to me that there has to be a better cause to get salty about than this fool spending a few days in the clink.

[dougdirt]

Wow, I'm stumped over the wasted energy in this thread. Chad is a complete zero of a human. Seems to me that there has to be a better cause to get salty about than this fool spending a few days in the clink.

My issue is more with the fact that judges can do things like that than with the person it happened to.

[TSJ55]

My issue is more with the fact that judges can do things like that than with the person it happened to.

I understand and I agree with you in principle. I just chalk this one up to justice was served (kinda, I guess, 30 days isn't enough) and not worry about how we got there.

I'll save my protest for a cause where the outcome wasn't such a good one.

[Joseph]

Don't end up in court then you don't have to worry about the perceived whims of a judge [who was completely within their rights by the by]. To much hate for the judicial system and not enough for the people who warrant its existence.

[dougdirt]

Don't end up in court then you don't have to worry about the perceived whims of a judge [who was completely within their rights by the by]. To much hate for the judicial system and not enough for the people who warrant its existence.

The judge shouldn't have those rights though. That is the problem. I don't hate the judicial system (well, parts of it..... frivilous lawsuits that still get through being a big example). I hate that someone can get their feelings hurt and decide to change a plea deal over it that they had previously agreed to.

[New York Red]

No. He was in trouble with the law because he is a piece of crap who hit a woman. He is in jail because he slapped his lawyer on the butt.
You just don't get it. People get sentences like this all the time for disrupting the courtroom, disrespecting the judge, etc. That's what Chad did. It's not like there's a law against smacking your lawyer's butt. However there is definitely a precedent for getting jail time for disrespectful behavior in the courtroom. You're over-thinking this, bigtime.

[MWM]

The judge shouldn't have those rights though. That is the problem. I don't hate the judicial system (well, parts of it..... frivilous lawsuits that still get through being a big example). I hate that someone can get their feelings hurt and decide to change a plea deal over it that they had previously agreed to.

A judge has to agree to a plea deal to begin with. The judge is in charge of the sentencing. They don't officially get sentenced until the very hearing Chad was at. A judge can, and should, have to the right to reevaluate their intended sentence until the time they hand it down based on new information about the defendant.

And this whole "because her feelings were hurt" is your own speculation. It's your opinion based on....well, nothing really. Does she have a precedent of this? Do you know anything else about her other than what she did in this case? I don't know why you'd automatically assume it had to do with her ego.

Here you had a flashy professional athlete who hit a woman. This is a very serious charge. He got a fancy lawyer who got him a plea deal. He shows up in court looking like he didn't care. Then he makes a joke out of a serious question a judge asked him in a very serious criminal proceeding. Her perception was that this was a guy who was not taking this whole thing seriously and needs to understand how serious this really is. It's not like she sentenced him to multiple years in a max security prison. The more I think about it, the more I think she did the right thing. Guys like Chad Johnson need to know they have to follow the same rules everyone else does. You can't go making a mockery of the criminal justice system like he was doing.

[Wonderful Monds]

You just don't get it. People get sentences like this all the time for disrupting the courtroom, disrespecting the judge, etc. That's what Chad did. It's not like there's a law against smacking your lawyer's butt. However there is definitely a precedent for getting jail time for disrespectful behavior in the courtroom. You're over-thinking this, bigtime.

No, that is what I said earlier and is exactly the point that Doug is making - that it is BS that that's a thing.

[New York Red]

No, that is what I said earlier and is exactly the point that Doug is making - that it is BS that that's a thing.
It might be BS to you, but to me it's showing disrespect for the situation you're in. This is how courtrooms all over the country are ran and I don't have an issue with it at all. Chad got exactly what he deserved.

[Sea Ray]

Actually Chad head butting a woman is old news at this point. The reason he was back in court was because he was blowing off the meetings with his probation officer; not because he hit another woman. So according to this judge, he deserves more jailtime for a slap on the butt than he does hitting a woman. For those of you who have an issue with what he did to his ex, think about it in those terms and tell me what you think of the judge's priorities.

[New York Red]

Actually Chad head butting a woman is old news at this point. The reason he was back in court was because he was blowing off the meetings with his probation officer; not because he hit another woman. So according to this judge, he deserves more jail time for a slap on the butt than he does hitting a woman. For those of you who have an issue with what he did to his ex, think about it in those terms and tell me what you think of the judge's priorities.
Big difference. His money likely got him probation on the domestic abuse charges. No amount of money can save you if the judge decides to give you some jail time for disrespecting her in her courtroom. There's no plea bargaining that decision.

[dougdirt]

It might be BS to you, but to me it's showing disrespect for the situation you're in. This is how courtrooms all over the country are ran and I don't have an issue with it at all. Chad got exactly what he deserved.

So athletes all over the world should be given jail time? They all slap each other on the butt.

I still don't get how disrespect deserves jail time unless that disrespect comes along with someone else, such as physical or a threat of physical violence.

I guess that is where we differ. Disrespect isn't against the law. Send people to jail for breaking the law, not for being disrespectful to someone, regardless of who that someone is.

[dougdirt]

No amount of money can save you if the judge decides to give you some jail time for disrespecting her in her courtroom. There's no plea bargaining that decision.
Money, nor disrespect should ever come into play in a court room aside from the value of the defense that your money can buy you.

Explain to me how being disrespectful to someone, anyone, that isn't also involving a physical threat should warrant jail time. It simply doesn't make sense.

[Sea Ray]

Big difference. His money likely got him probation on the domestic abuse charges. No amount of money can save you if the judge decides to give you some jail time for disrespecting her in her courtroom. There's no plea bargaining that decision.

Money hasn't changed from the beginning to now. Neither has the judge. The only difference is the sentence. Lester Munson gets it. This is a short column and here's his last paragraph:


C'mon, judge. Johnson will be in jail Monday night. That's enough. If you let him out on Tuesday, you will have made your point. If you keep him in the Broward County Jail for 30 days, you will always be the judge who could not distinguish between a vicious head-butt and a triumphant slap on the fanny.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9362895/judge-overreacted-chad-johnson-rear-end-slapping-incident

[MWM]

Doug, you keep making this disrespect in a way that it's impossible to counter because you act like it happened in a vacuum with no context. Of course no one should be thrown in jail for disrespect. And you are the one positioning it as disrespect. I definitely don't see it that way. I see it as someone who committed a serious offense and thought he could buy his way out of it and not take it seriously. The judge was responding to that more than any perceived personal slight to her individual ego. I think that's a much more likely scenario than the one you're putting forth of hurt feelings at lack of respect for her personally.

[Boston Red]

Chad is free!

[New York Red]

Chad is free!
As he has for most of his "adult" life, he gets away with acting like an idiot because of who he is. That's why he still acts the way he does at his age and why he's out of football already. He'll never grow up because no one or no thing will ever force him to. He obviously didn't take domestic violence charges or court appearances seriously, so I'm guessing this isn't the last we'll see Chad in a courtroom.

[dougdirt]

Doug, you keep making this disrespect in a way that it's impossible to counter because you act like it happened in a vacuum with no context. Of course no one should be thrown in jail for disrespect. And you are the one positioning it as disrespect. I definitely don't see it that way. I see it as someone who committed a serious offense and thought he could buy his way out of it and not take it seriously. The judge was responding to that more than any perceived personal slight to her individual ego. I think that's a much more likely scenario than the one you're putting forth of hurt feelings at lack of respect for her personally.

I don't care what the judge was responding to unless it was another breaking of a law, which it wasn't, or the original law that was broken, which it wasn't. That is what she should be dealing with in that courtroom when handing out sentences. Nothing else. She made it about something else. She shouldn't have the right to do that.

[MWM]

I don't care what the judge was responding to unless it was another breaking of a law, which it wasn't, or the original law that was broken, which it wasn't. That is what she should be dealing with in that courtroom when handing out sentences. Nothing else. She made it about something else. She shouldn't have the right to do that.

So judges shouldn't sentence then, which is essentially what you're saying. All sentencing should be pre-determined so judges aren't allowed to bring anything subjective to the process. That sounds to me like what you're saying.

[dougdirt]

So judges shouldn't sentence then, which is essentially what you're saying. All sentencing should be pre-determined so judges aren't allowed to bring anything subjective to the process. That sounds to me like what you're saying.

What I am saying is that they should sentence based on the crime, not based on how someone acted within the court room assuming that person didn't break a law in the court room and even then, that should probably wind up as a separate case, no?

If this judge wanted to send Chad to jail for his probation violation, fine. I am on board. But she didn't.

[Yachtzee]

A judge has to agree to a plea deal to begin with. The judge is in charge of the sentencing. They don't officially get sentenced until the very hearing Chad was at. A judge can, and should, have to the right to reevaluate their intended sentence until the time they hand it down based on new information about the defendant.

And this whole "because her feelings were hurt" is your own speculation. It's your opinion based on....well, nothing really. Does she have a precedent of this? Do you know anything else about her other than what she did in this case? I don't know why you'd automatically assume it had to do with her ego.

Here you had a flashy professional athlete who hit a woman. This is a very serious charge. He got a fancy lawyer who got him a plea deal. He shows up in court looking like he didn't care. Then he makes a joke out of a serious question a judge asked him in a very serious criminal proceeding. Her perception was that this was a guy who was not taking this whole thing seriously and needs to understand how serious this really is. It's not like she sentenced him to multiple years in a max security prison. The more I think about it, the more I think she did the right thing. Guys like Chad Johnson need to know they have to follow the same rules everyone else does. You can't go making a mockery of the criminal justice system like he was doing.

You make it sound like he got some sweetheart deal because he got a flashy lawyer and actually deserved more. Well considering it's a first offense for misdemeanor DV, if it had occurred in some of the jurisdictions I work in, I might have been able to get him into a diversion program which, if he completed it successfully, would have gotten it off his record entirely. But I'm no flashy lawyer, I'm just a public defender who represents those who can't afford an attorney. And if a client slapped my butt, I think the most the judges I deal with would have given him is a 30 day suspended sentence for contempt with the threat that they would be run consecutive to any time currently suspended over his head.

But Chad is free now, which I suspect happened because someone at the jail sent a message to the judge that someone they really want to keep in jail could get emergency released because of overcrowding.

Not to minimize the crime of domestic violence, but there are many men AND women who get charged for crossing the line by getting physical during an argument. When looking at sentencing these people, courts often consider factors other than punishment. For first timers, the desire is often that they receive some kind of court supervised help to give them skills they can use to cope with stressful situations in the future so that they don't reoffend. That often involves anger management, counselling, and evaluation for drug and alcohol problems. When you see as many "frequent fliers" as we do, judges will often do what they can to provide the offender with the opportunity to make positive changes in their life to make sure it doesn't happen again.

[Stray]

If an apology can get you out of jail then you shouldn't have been in jail to begin with. Waste of time, money, effort, everything. A courtroom and a judge shouldn't be out to make silly headlines.

I realize he was in court for a nasty incident, but as I understand it that wasn't why he was locked up. Had they put him in jail for the domestic violence thing then I'd have no issues with it.

[Sea Ray]

I agree and I think she'll shorten it to something less than 10 days too.



This judge is so predictable. We could all see this coming a week ago.

[RedFanAlways1966]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9395324/chad-johnson-leaving-jail-apologizing-judge


McHugh noted that in a previous hearing Johnson had put his arm around a female prosecutor's shoulders, prompting the prosecutor to tell him twice not to touch her. The judge also pointed out that when Johnson head-butted his then-wife, Evelyn Lozada of the reality TV show "Basketball Wives," she suffered a 3-inch gash on her head that required eight stitches. The judge called those injuries horrific.

McHugh also said Johnson failed to appreciate "the gift of probation" after pleading no contest to battery in the altercation last August with Lozada, which prompted her to quickly file for divorce. Johnson, 35, was in court because he had failed to meet with his probation officer for three straight months.

"I find that's an arrogant disregard for a court order," the judge said.

Google up pictures of Lozada's wound. Pretty nasty. Hopefully a week in the can taught him humility and to follow court orders... and more importantly not to injure other humans out of anger.

[New York Red]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9395324/chad-johnson-leaving-jail-apologizing-judge



Google up pictures of Lozada's wound. Pretty nasty. Hopefully a week in the can taught him humility and to follow court orders... and more importantly not to injure other humans out of anger.
Wow.