Friday, March 21, 2008

Hand Jive


A big No No to do in Court.



Lawyer jailed over lewd gesture at judge
Man detained briefly while representing DWI client.
By Steven KreytakAMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF


An Austin defense lawyer was jailed last week after being accused of making a lewd gesture at a judge while in court representing a client on charges of driving while intoxicated.

Adam Reposa, 33, was held in contempt of court by County-Court-at-Law Judge Jan Breland for his "intentional and contumacious conduct during the court's review of the plea bargain offer to his client before jury trial."

Reposa, who could not be reached for comment, "made a simulated masturbatory gesture with his hand while making eye contact with the court in response to an objection by the state to his interference with the court plea bargain inquiry," Breland wrote in a judgment of criminal contempt of court filed March 11.

Breland, who also could not be reached, noted that she and prosecutor Richard Gentry witnessed the gesture and "acknowledged so on the record."

Breland ordered Reposa taken into custody and returned to court the next morning for a sentencing hearing. Handwritten on the bottom of the order above the initials "JB" was: "No bond without my approval."

However, Reposa was released later that day on a personal bond signed by state District Judge Charlie Baird, who said the law requires that judges set bond in lawyer-contempt cases.
It does not appear from court records that further action on the case has occurred since his release.