Six or seven months ago, there was a contempt thread about another person that didn't know how to behave in a courtroom. While Penelope Soto was initially given a 30 day contempt sentence, a few days later the judge vacated it after
she apologized.
My perception is that that is pretty conventional.
In the American Criminal Justice system, judges have a great deal of latitude. You and I are free to like or dislike that -- But our likes or dislikes don't change anything.
Once, I had the occasion to spend a morning in a criminal courtroom in Daytona Beach FL. And I was amazed at the amount of crap that the judge had to take. I was also amazed at the number of people that apparently lacked any concept concerning what constituted civil behavior.
Seriously, it was more outrageous than anything you'd ever see on TV -- people arguing with the judge about how much marijuana constitutes possession, people arguing with the judge about their identities, people dressed in dirty T-shirts with holes in them, people that couldn't keep quiet, people that couldn't stop moving...
When I was at the Military Police Academy, they told me that the vast majority of criminals were stupid and lazy. I don't remember whether I believed it when they told me that. But after spending some time in a criminal courtroom, I believed it.
And oh, no sympathy for violent offenders. If they can't control their violent urges, lock them up with their peers!
Uno