Judge jails public defender for contempt for arguing in court
A Mississippi judge with a history of contention with the local public defender’s office jailed an assistant PD without bond for contempt for much of the day Wednesday, although the lawyer’s boss said he was not disruptive or disrespectful but simply doing his job at a bond hearing.
The assistant, Chris Routh, was punished for “willful disruptive interference with court proceedings,” said Hinds County Circuit Judge Jeff Weill.
However, at a Thursday news conference, public defender Michele Harris had a different perspective, according to the Clarion-Ledger and WAPT.
“The actions of Judge Weill on yesterday in effect criminalized the very job we are sworn to do,” Harris said. “Chris Routh was jailed for doing nothing more than representing his client.”
It appears that Routh spent about five hours behind bars before a three-judge panel of the Mississippi Supreme Court ordered his release on $500 bond while he appeals the contempt case. Weill had ordered him jailed without bond.
The hearing at issue involved a bond revocation for capital murder suspect Loren Shell-Blackwell, who was holding her 3-month-old baby. At some point, both she and the child began to cry as Routh sought a finding on why bail was being denied, according to the Clarion-Ledger, WAPT and WJTV.
Weill called for order, says an affidavit filed in the supreme court appeal, called a 10-minute recess and then said Routh was in contempt and had him escorted from the courtroom and jailed until 5 p.m., reports WJTV.
“We have had over nine attorneys to serve in Judge Weill’s courtroom. And every one of those attorneys has at some point been threatened with the contempt that has never occurred in any of the other courtrooms,” Harris said.
A transcript of the Wednesday bond hearing is expected to be made available at some point on Friday.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Mississippi high court orders judge and PD to ‘make nice’”
ABAJournal.com: “Judge imposes $1,300 fine on unpaid court-appointed lawyer for refusing to try case”
Clarion-Ledger: “Court tells Weill to respond to lawyer’s appeal”
