Anyone been in court when the judge threw a kiniption fit?

[brentspeak]

I was in traffic court a few weeks ago (I turned left on a yellow light that quickly became red), and for the second time I've been in traffic court, the judge went bonkers at someone who was before him.

Some lawyer said to the judge (sheephishly, too) "Maybe if you could allow my client to reschedule her hearing..." Then the judge took some heavy law book and slammed it on his bench. "Maybe I might NOT allow her to reschedule her hearing!" Lawyer then stammered something I couldn't hear, then the judge: "You think I'm some kind of idiot? Is that what you think? That I'm some kind of an idiot?"

The poor lawyer got abused for another minute before the judge told him to "come back when you know what the hell you're doing!" I was the next case, and the judge was still steaming mad when he heard me (but he let me plead guilty to a lesser non-point charge).

The first time I was in court, when I was a dumb 18-year-old who got a ticket for not properly signaling, the municipal judge, out of the blue, declared some guy in contempt of court and ordered him sent to the holding cell. Poor guy was handcuffed and escorted out of the courtroom, but no one could figure out what had transpired between him the judge.

Do judges blow up like this all the time?

[Floogeldy]

1. Judges don't do this all of the time.

In fact, it is rare. It's called "judicial temperament." :)