‘F’ Word Makes Bench a Hot Seat

‘Saying “F--- you” to a judge could get a defendant in trouble. But in a recent incident in a Cincinnati courtroom, it’s the judge who is at the center of controversy—for responding in kind.

Judge Ted Berry uttered those words on Tuesday in an exchange with a defendant who was concerned that he would not be able to smoke marijuana while spending 30 days in the slammer, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Defendant Ivan Boykins objected when a prosecutor suggested a sentence of probation for trespassing in a public library. Boykins said that sentence would not prevent him from smoking pot.

That prompted Berry to impose a 30-day jail term. Boykins was the first to drop the “F” bomb, and Berry replied with the same phrase, the newspaper says.