Treinta Días

[The Big Ragu]

m/nfl/story/_/id/9360765/chad-johnson-serve-30-days-jail

Chad Johnson had a no jail time plea deal in place -- for head butting his wife (now ex wife). When the judge (a woman!) asked if he was happy with his attorney, he slapped his lawyer on the butt. Courtroom erupts in laughter. Judge gets pissed off and throws the plea deal aside. They slap the cuffs on and take him to jail.

 

[heyabbott]

Judge be a hater

 

[The Big Ragu]

You know something. ... Reading the story I was thinking he may be the biggest idiot who ever lived. But it made it sound MUCH worse than what it really was. Not smart. But that is one judge who could turn a parking ticket into a death sentence. Here is the video.

http://www.tmz.com/videos/0_uxpf4gr2

EDIT: Just reread what I wrote. ... I am not suggesting that hitting your wife is like a parking ticket. ... meant that the judge was tough.

 

[fossywriter8]

Judge overreacted.
If the judge felt that strongly about the case, she should not have initially granted the plea agreement. Voiding it that way makes her look petty.
Should Johnson have slapped the attorney's butt? No. But he didn't do it for comedic purposes.
The judge should have admonished Johnson and the courtroom, including the sheriff's deputy who can't contain himself from laughing.
Johnson didn't laugh. Johnson didn't say it was a joke. Johnson's not responsible for the actions of those in the gallery.
Again, he shouldn't have slapped the lawyer's butt, but it's not like that's an unnatural response by an athlete.

 

[old_tony]

Judge overreacted.
If the judge felt that strongly about the case, she should not have initially granted the plea agreement. Voiding it that way makes her look petty.
Should Johnson have slapped the attorney's butt? No. But he didn't do it for comedic purposes.
The judge should have admonished Johnson and the courtroom, including the sheriff's deputy who can't contain himself from laughing.
Johnson didn't laugh. Johnson didn't say it was a joke. Johnson's not responsible for the actions of those in the gallery.
Again, he shouldn't have slapped the lawyer's butt, but it's not like that's an unnatural response by an athlete.

Agree. I think the judge looks worse than he does in this.

 

[The Big Ragu]

Whoever looks worse, one walked out of the courtroom in handcuffs. And it wasn't her.

The takeaway here has to be, when you're being sentenced for a parole violation after a conviction for headbutting your wife (by a woman judge!), and you're about to walk out of the courtroom without any jail time, keep your eyes straight ahead and look contrite. Don't pat your attorney on the ass.

 

[User 1019]

He's an adult who sexually assaulted someone in a very public place in a very public manner. 30 days seems sufficient.

 

[heyabbott]

Judge overreacted.

Again, he shouldn't have slapped the lawyer's butt, but it's not like that's an unnatural response by an athlete.

He's not an athlete in the court room, he's a defendant and after he pled guilty he's a convicted criminal. Hes also apparently too stupid and ignorant to show common courtesy and civility in court. What he does or did for a living is irrelevant.

 

[HanSenSE]

Great thead header, btw.

 

[ColdCat]

He wanted to be a clown. He wanted to make light of the proceedings and get a laugh out of everyone. He got the laugh, but that also was verging on contempt of court. You have to know that it is 100% out of bounds to show up a judge in the courtroom.

 

[DanOregon]

Something tells me if the cameras weren't in the courtroom, Johnson walks. The judge looks like a jackass.

 

[MileHigh]

Nah, I don't buy that.

He pulled out a Hall of Fame jacket like he scored a touchdown to make it 45-16 in the fourth quarter.

And he's there for breaking probation. After roughing up his now-ex-wife.

It's not Comedy Works.

 

[JackReacher]

Dip**** move of the year, and we're not even halfway through it. He was 10 seconds away from the gavel bang and walking out of there. Nope. He just HAD to slap his lawyer on the ass. Who in the **** does that?

Chad Johnson does that. And he deserves what he got.

It's a courtroom. Not Hard Knocks.

 

[fossywriter8]

I'm not saying he didn't deserve jail for the crime, I'm saying he didn't deserve the judge changing her acceptance of the plea agreement the way she did.
Strange how none of the laughers or the deputy were even issued a contempt of court citation when they were the ones who actually caused the disturbance.

 

[JackReacher]

No. Chad Johnson caused the disturbance by slapping his lawyer's ass. It very plainly showed that he didn't take any of it seriously. It was a joke to him. Not anymore, I bet.

I love it.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Stopped at the goal line!

 

[Big Circus]

I'm mostly on the judge's side here. After merely extending his probation after he violated it, the judge told Ocho that he should be thanking his attorney for a great job because he got a favorable outcome. That's when Ocho patted his attorney on the ass to thank him.

To me, this paints a picture more consistent with the judge's assertion that he wasn't taking the hearing seriously. Many probation violators get jail time, and I don't see why Ocho should be treated any differently, particularly since he committed a crime of violence.

Also, I doubt he'll serve even a week of that sentence.

 

[Big Circus]

We're in agreement, right, Sonner?

Patting your attorney on the ass immediately after a judge tells you she is exercising discretion in not sending you to jail is a playful act in the middle of a very serious situation. I definitely understand the judge feeling disrespected and believing that Ocho wasn't taking the hearing seriously. And I'd bet that moving forward, he'll a.) scrupulously abide by the terms of his probation and b.) take his next hearing much more seriously.

 

[JackReacher]

****. That's my bad, dude.

Yes, we're in agreement. My dip**** response has been removed.

 

[heyabbott]

Leon Lett doesn't get the problem