RUSH: Did you hear what happened to Chad Ochocinco today? Well, we got the sound bite for this, too, but I gotta find it. Hang on just a second. Chad Ochocinco, it was yesterday in Ft. Lauderdale, Broward County. Chad Ochocinco, he’s been in trouble ever since he left the New England Patriots. He went to the Miami Dolphins. He got cut. He got married, and then a few short days after was in a dispute over beating up his wife, and they got divorced, and he’s been issued various court orders to stay away from her, to shape up, ship out, any number of things.
Yesterday he was in court where he was sentenced to 30 days in jail for a probation violation in a domestic violence case, and the ruling as originally announced by the judge was favorable, no jail time, and Chad Ochocinco then slapped his lawyer on the butt, like football players do on the field, “Way to go, dude, way to go.” And the judge saw it and didn’t like it and then the courtroom started laughing and the judge said, “You find this funny, Mr. Ochocinco?” And she ended up sending him to jail because he mocked the court. Here’s how it sounded.
JUDGE KATHLEEN MCHUGH: He’s an excellent attorney. He did a great job for you, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED ATTORNEY: Thank you.
JUDGE KATHLEEN MCHUGH: Do you have any questions — (sound of Johnson patting his attorney on the butt) This isn’t a joke.
OCHOCINCO: I didn’t do it as a joke.
JUDGE KATHLEEN MCHUGH: Everybody in the court room was laughing. I’m not accepting these plea negotiations.
RUSH: That was the judge, Kathleen McHugh. He slapped his lawyer on the butt after beating the rap, meaning no jail time. And then the courtroom started laughing and the judge said, “I’m not putting up with this. This isn’t funny.” And she said, “I’m not accepting the plea negotiations,” and now he’s got 30 days in jail.
(interruption)
Well, it’s harsh in what realm? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, not “come on.” Where is our culture going? Courtrooms are not sound stages. Courtrooms are not locker rooms. There has to be a modicum of respect shown, and this guy has had — well, I don’t know what — Snerdley said obviously the guy’s an idiot. I don’t know that he’s an idiot in the way you mean it. It doesn’t matter if he can’t help it. He can’t help it is not an excuse. Anyway, the judge felt you just don’t play around with this kind of stuff. You know hug the lawyer, say thanks, man. A slap on the butt and the courtroom starts laughing, the judge was obviously not pleased with this in the first place.
If Chad woulda just said, “Judge, Judge, Judge, I was just trying to show solidarity with gays here,” he might have been able to beat the rap. But, no, he wasn’t thinking on his feet fast enough. If he woulda just said, “No, no, Judge, Judge, the butt slap, I’m just trying to show solidarity with gays, and they know what I’m talking about, Judge.” It would have been tough for the judge to throw out the plea agreement, but she did.
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