Judge refuse to toss the charges over a t-shirt

I have the p***y, so I make the rules

[quote] Lake County judge declined this morning to vacate a contempt of court ruling against a Round Lake Park woman who wore a T-shirt in court that offended the judge.

Jennifer LaPenta was jailed in early May by Lake County Associate Judge Helen Rozenberg after the judge held her in contempt. In court for a friend’s hearing that day, LaPenta wore a shirt that displays the words: “I have the (slang for female body part) so I make the rules.”[/quote]

First Amendment doesn’t protect obscenities,but surely the judge was out of line herself by not allowing the offender remove the t-shirt (reported in an earlier article). Who’s right here? I’m apt to support her if she goes to appeals. And I wonder if the judge saw any irony in her final decision. :loco:

[quote=“Namahottie”]I have the p***y, so I make the rules

[quote] Lake County judge declined this morning to vacate a contempt of court ruling against a Round Lake Park woman who wore a T-shirt in court that offended the judge.

Jennifer LaPenta was jailed in early May by Lake County Associate Judge Helen Rozenberg after the judge held her in contempt. In court for a friend’s hearing that day, LaPenta wore a shirt that displays the words: “I have the (slang for female body part) so I make the rules.”[/quote]

First Amendment doesn’t protect obscenities,but surely the judge was out of line herself by not allowing the offender remove the t-shirt (reported in an earlier article). Who’s right here? I’m apt to support her if she goes to appeals. And I wonder if the judge saw any irony in her final decision. :loco:[/quote]
She’s an idiot. A courtroom is no place for a demonstration of free speech.

[quote=“hardball”][quote=“Namahottie”]I have the p***y, so I make the rules

[quote] Lake County judge declined this morning to vacate a contempt of court ruling against a Round Lake Park woman who wore a T-shirt in court that offended the judge.

Jennifer LaPenta was jailed in early May by Lake County Associate Judge Helen Rozenberg after the judge held her in contempt. In court for a friend’s hearing that day, LaPenta wore a shirt that displays the words: “I have the (slang for female body part) so I make the rules.”[/quote]

First Amendment doesn’t protect obscenities,but surely the judge was out of line herself by not allowing the offender remove the t-shirt (reported in an earlier article). Who’s right here? I’m apt to support her if she goes to appeals. And I wonder if the judge saw any irony in her final decision. :loco:[/quote]
She’s an idiot. A courtroom is no place for a demonstration of free speech.[/quote]

It wasn’t about free speech. Nor was she trying to make a statement–at least not in connection to free speech.

[quote=“Namahottie”][quote=“hardball”][quote=“Namahottie”]I have the p***y, so I make the rules

[quote] Lake County judge declined this morning to vacate a contempt of court ruling against a Round Lake Park woman who wore a T-shirt in court that offended the judge.

Jennifer LaPenta was jailed in early May by Lake County Associate Judge Helen Rozenberg after the judge held her in contempt. In court for a friend’s hearing that day, LaPenta wore a shirt that displays the words: “I have the (slang for female body part) so I make the rules.”[/quote]

First Amendment doesn’t protect obscenities,but surely the judge was out of line herself by not allowing the offender remove the t-shirt (reported in an earlier article). Who’s right here? I’m apt to support her if she goes to appeals. And I wonder if the judge saw any irony in her final decision. :loco:[/quote]
She’s an idiot. A courtroom is no place for a demonstration of free speech.[/quote]

It wasn’t about free speech. Nor was she trying to make a statement–at least not in connection to free speech.[/quote]
So she accidentally wore that shirt…to court? :bravo:

The female judge in question didn’t make the rules because she’s female. She made the rules because she had the education and hard work to reach her position at the big desk with the gavel on it.

One’s manner of dress, presuming one has any choice in the matter (owns or has access to appropriate clothes), can be used to show respect or contempt. That’s why we show our respect on in the Lord’s house by wearing our Sundy best. A shirt like you describe is not appropriate for a court room. Period. Actually, I’m having a hard time thinking of anywhere such a t-shirt is appropriate.

Taiwan night markets have a whole lot worse on for sale :laughing:

I like these crude shirts…reminds me of one my friend used to wear to gym class at a Catholic school–Liquor in the front, poker in the rear." Teachers were ok with him wearing it.

I bet if her T-shirt read: “I have the p***y, so I make the food”, the judge would not have objected.

[quote=“housecat”]The female judge in question didn’t make the rules because she’s female. She made the rules because she had the education and hard work to reach her position at the big desk with the gavel on it.[/url] And she’s also a conservative county where they have nothing to do but push their conservative agendas and deal with parking tickets…

[quote]One’s manner of dress, presuming one has any choice in the matter (owns or has access to appropriate clothes), can be used to show respect or contempt. That’s why we show our respect on in the Lord’s house by wearing our Sundy best.[/url]

Been to church lately? At mass all I see are jeans and sweatshirts. At Baptist churches I see nothing but tatas and bootie… :laughing:

[/quote]A shirt like you describe is not appropriate for a court room. Period. Actually, I’m having a hard time thinking of anywhere such a t-shirt is appropriate.[/quote] Right it isn’t but things have shifted these days. I see people going to work looking literally like they rolled out of bed. No ironing, hair all over their heads, etc. And this has been common for the last 10+ years. So, being that she was 20 I’m apt to say her frame of reference for dress is excusable. Besides, she wasn’t a defendant, just an observer who told the judge she would remove the t-shirt. Judge wouldn’t let her. That seems like a power trip, a waste of time, not to mention just mean. I’m all for appropriate dress however, if someone is willing to correct a mistake without blame or attitude, which we have in spades in today’s society, then that should happen.

Damn! I remember those days.

It’s true that anyone can wear anything to church these days, but as they say at church, “God judges what’s on the INside, not what’s on the OUTside.”

If the twenty year old girl was naive enough not to understand that wearing that shirt was as good as calling the judge a c*nt, then she’s at least gotten a lesson or two ouf the experience. It’s nothing that’s going to hurt her in the long run and I just bet she never would have learned these things on her own. Sometimes education is unpleasant, but it’s still valuable.

What about this story from way back? Where some Trekker went to the Whitewater trial dressed every day in Star trek uniform community.seattletimes.nwsource. … ug=2318998

I have to disagree that’s going to come up on her background check where ever she applies to work, and depending on the HR person, she could have a hard time truly expressing that it wasn’t intentional toward the court. The initial court ruling should have been given to send a message but now it’s just heavy handed. Especially when people have had far worse rulings vacated.

Forget the court, the 20 year old is soooooooooooo disrespectful towards herself. What I wonder is, how come no one told her to get out of the court room or not go in there lest she be held in contempt. Someone should have had the sense to warn her.

Forget the court and notions of free speech – it’s disrespectful and inappropriate to wear t-shirts with obscenity on it in public, in front of children. You wouldn’t say something like that in front of others’ kids, would you? So how does it become more appropriate just 'cause it’s in writing? To then wear it to school or church or a courtroom is beyond the pale. :loco:

[quote=“The U. S. Supreme Court”]“On April 26, 1968, the defendant was observed in the Los Angeles County Courthouse in the corridor outside of division 20 of the municipal court wearing a jacket bearing the words ‘Fuck the Draft’ which were plainly visible.”


It is, in sum, our judgment that, absent a more particularized and compelling reason for its actions, the State may not, consistently with the First and Fourteenth Amendments, make the simple public display here involved of this single four-letter expletive a criminal offense.[/quote]–[i]Cohen v. California /i (emphas added by me) supreme.justia.com/us/403/15/case.html

[quote]The judge asked LaPenta, 19, if she thought her shirt was appropriate.

LaPenta said she told the judge that it would have been inappropriate if she had been the defendant.[/quote]–“Judge holds woman in contempt for wearing offensive T-shirt,” Chicago Sun-Times suntimes.com/news/metro/2238 … 05.article

[quote=“The U. S. Supreme Court”][Footnote 3:]
It is illuminating to note what transpired when Cohen entered a courtroom in the building. He removed his jacket and stood with it folded over his arm. Meanwhile, a policeman sent the presiding judge a note suggesting that Cohen be held in contempt of court. The judge declined to do so, and Cohen was arrested by the officer only after he emerged from the courtroom.[/quote]–[i]Cohen v. California /i (emphasis added by me) supreme.justia.com/us/403/15/case.html#F3

I don’t know, though, times change. Maybe there’s no longer anything special about a courtroom. For all I know, she might win her appeal.

Oh god what’s on TV today and what people say in their own homes around their kids has nothing on this t-shirt. I’m not arguing that it’s appropriate. I’m arguing that the judge was a bit harsh in getting her point across. I think we (in general) tend to think that everyone has the same frame of reference when we don’t. Someone who doesn’t go to court on a regular basis doesn’t know the decorum of court. If anything, the sheriffs outside the courtroom dropped the ball on this one, as I’ve heard in that county they general correct such behaviors.

Skanky douchebags, perhaps. I sure as fucking HELL don’t talk shite like that in front of my kid, and if YOU do in my home, you’ll be out on your ear before you can whine “aggrieved chavtastic.” :unamused:
Its FUCKING rude. Its FUCKING inappropriate. Its FUCKING typical of braindead addleheaded fucking MOUTHBREATHING HICKS. Good on the judge. :thumbsup:

Skanky douchebags, perhaps. I sure as fucking HELL don’t talk shite like that in front of my kid, and if YOU do in my home, you’ll be out on your ear before you can whine “aggrieved chavtastic.” :unamused:
Its FUCKING rude. Its FUCKING inappropriate. Its FUCKING typical of braindead addleheaded fucking MOUTHBREATHING HICKS. Good on the judge. :thumbsup:[/quote]
You won’t teach him to cuss??? But you’re good at it. :smiley:

Skanky douchebags, perhaps. I sure as fucking HELL don’t talk shite like that in front of my kid, and if YOU do in my home, you’ll be out on your ear before you can whine “aggrieved chavtastic.”[/quote]Seconded, although I’m not quite sure what to make of aggrieved chavtastic. :ponder:

My 7-year-old apparently has learned how to make the one-finger salute. I guess at school somewhere. I told him he will get hit if he uses it, not by me, but because it makes people mad.