Calif. Judge Jails Lawyer With ‘Disturbing Pattern’ of Tardiness
A criminal defense lawyer with a history of tardiness and missing court dates was tossed in jail on Monday when he showed up 35 minutes late for court wearing a rumpled suit and no tie.
Stephen Charles Hollingsworth remained in jail until Wednesday when the judge released him, the Los Angeles Times reports. The judge, John Cheroske, has ordered Hollingsworth to return to court on July 24 to learn whether he will face further sanctions.
In the case that led to the jailing, Hollingsworth was late for a preliminary hearing on May 7 and missed the rescheduled hearing three weeks later, Deputy District Attorney Laura Walton-Everett told the newspaper. The judge then issued a warrant for Hollingsworth’s arrest and ordered him to appear in court on Monday. When Hollingsworth arrived 35 minutes late, Cheroske found him in contempt and ordered him jailed.
Court officials told the newspaper the incident was the sixth time Hollingsworth was cited for being late, missing hearings or “other strange courtroom behavior.” Court spokesman Allan Parachini said the judge had “a disturbing pattern” of being late or missing court dates.
The lawyer for Hollingsworth, Manuel Eli Gonzalez, said his client told the judge he was late because of knee and shoulder problems. “He may have been late, but I don’t believe that deserves a three-day hold in the county jail with a bunch of known felons,” he told the Times.
