What?I think the Judge may have over stepped her bounds on this one.
Was the language offensive? Yes.
Stupid? Yes.
Contempt of Court? Nope, not how I would read it.
IMHO she should have asked the woman to leave and come back with a different shirt if she didn't have a jacket or something to cover it up.
I have the gavel, so I make the rules
From: The Smoking GunMeet Jennifer LaPenta. The Illinois woman, 19, was jailed Monday after a judge was offended by the t-shirt she wore to a friend's court hearing. LaPenta, wearing a black shirt with the message, "I Have The Pussy, So I Make The Rules," ran afoul of Judge Helen Rozenberg, a Circuit Court jurist who handles misdemeanor and traffic cases.
A miffed Rozenberg, 56, summoned LaPenta from the gallery, and cited her for contempt of court. The judge then immediately sentenced LaPenta to 48 hours in jail, and had her removed from the courtroom in handcuffs.
LaPenta, pictured in the mug shot, was released yesterday from the Lake County jail after spending the night in custody. She is now reportedly considering a lawsuit over her garment-related bust.
In a May 3 court order, Rozenberg wrote that LaPenta, "displaying herself on the front row," offered "no excuse" for her apparel.
In an amended order filed yesterday (presumably after she learned of media interest in the case), Rozenberg made sure to include the exact "obscene wording" found on LaPenta's shirt. (3 pages)
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