A defendant in a murder case in Texas refused to rise when addressing the judge. A jolt of electricity was then administered to James Calvert through a shock belt.
The defendant reportedly screamed ‘ahh’ for about 5 seconds.
The judge had allowed Mr. Calvert to represent himself, though after the shock incident he changed his decision and now public defenders, who were monitoring the trial, have been asked to represent the accused.
Death penalty opponents were quick to declare the shocking might be grounds for an appeal.
Are they sure he didn’t actually enjoy the experience?
Don’t mess with Texas!
A boob shock belt.
Too bad the shock didn’t kill him.
I could give two shits about this killer, but the use of this device in this manner is plainly abuse.
Nobody with a position of authority in this country should physically abuse anyone. That is unless we just want to adopt full on Sharia law.
Sounds like the judge is a bit kinky.
Those things are big in the gay BSDM community. The Folsom street fair (similar to the ‘up your back alley’ event) is going on right across the bay from me at Sanfagsidco at this moment.
If you can’t stomach physically forcing a man to stand against his will, then you shouldn’t do it.
Period.
The people who put those things on their dogs should get slapped hard also.
If the individual is so feral that he won’t act in his own self interest by being respectful at his trial, lock him up for a long, long time.
Don’t torture him.
So who would say “yea OK” if instead they touched him with a lit cigarette to make him stand up.
There is no stopping this if the DOJ doesn’t throw that judge in the slammer.
Old Oaks nailed it. ‘Nuff said.
He should have been sitting in old sparky when they administered the stand-up and salute juice!
Next time court’s in session have his feet placed in a pan of water.
I have a feeling we’re not getting the whole story here.
What is the alternative if the shock belt wasn’t used here?
Would it be any less prejudicial in this case if the bailiffs man handled the defendant to his feet in order to make sure he gave proper deference to the court?
The judge in this case allowed Calvert the opportunity to defend himself. The defendant demonstrated that the trust was misplaced by not conducting himself properly and the Judge put the public defenders in charge of his defense.
Perhaps the shock was the final warning to behave and when he still didn’t the judge decided Calvert could no longer defend himself.
The judge indulged the defendant to a great extreme and gave him more than ample chances to conduct his own defense.
Can we get one for Obama’s neck?
Ominous precedent.
These belts have been around for a while in States that allow a defendant to appear in civilian clothing in lieu of prison stripes. It is a very effective passive restraint against any kind of adventurous behavior from a defendant.
This is a taser shot directly to your kidneys. You will piss yourself while you twitch and scream for those five seconds.
So what if he didn’t stand when addressing the judge?
1.) If he pisses off the judge, he’s only hurting himself.
2.) The judge is only a human being, not a Deity.
3.) If I were an innocent man in what I regarded as an unjust trial, presided over by an unjust judge, working for an unjust regime (Note that I am NOT saying that is the case here!), I might refuse to acknowledge the judge’s authority by not standing, either. Of course, then I would probably expect the treatment that this man received.
But I wouldn’t expect it in an American courtroom.
Part of me wants to say the guy deserved what he got, but the rational majority part says what Billy Fuster said: Ominous precedent.
🙁
If what you say is true, use of the belt should only be limited to the most potentially dangerous defendants, and then only if they are attempting to physically harm others – not to make them behave like a puppet on a string.
Just exactly what is the issue with standing before the judge?
If he refuses, he is in contempt and gets time added to his sentence.
The judge has no moral authority to require a man to stand, kneel, bow down, or kiss a ring.
If you believe that you should be in servitude to a government employee, you have every right to that notion.
Many others disagree.
These belts should only be used on muslims for entertainment.
I agree.
Don’t know about you folks but I would be more than willing to push the button.
Wonder how you would feel if he had killed your daughter by beating her then shooting her, then mocking the court, eh?
Open the Door, you are responding with only emotion. Sposed to be a civ. of laws, yanno.
A shock jock would be more effective.
You’re the one drifting from reality on a sea of emotion.
I’m using common sense, something not so common lately.
So you are willing to allow out court system to be dictated to by crazy criminals?
Talk about running on emotion.
‘Hands up, don’t shoot!’, sound familiar Kingfish?
A complete and total violation of the 1st amendment.
Not to mention the 8th.
Please don’t pass that info off to my Lab.
Or my wife.
Heeheeehee
You just ain’t enough Texan to enjoy the punishment for disrespecting the Judge and the court. bet he stands next time
The reason you stood when the judge entered the court was because he was carrying the Bible into the court. You are never required to stand for any judge. He’s just another lawyer.
Judge Roy Bean would have just shot him and gotten it over with.
I tried to see it that way, but these devices were implemented with the intention of subduing violent defendants who become violent in the court room. He was not being violent by refusing to stand. It is the same as a kid who won’t stand in line at school. You don’t beat them because they refuse to comply, you make them do an assignment instead of going to recess.
I believe I might be enough Texan – I just don’t think I’m enough sadist.
http://www.wikihow.com/Address-a-Judge-in-Court
The judge has control over the court room. Proper decorum is required for a court time to be effectively used.
A judge knows that a person is addressing the court when the individual stands and finished with statements when the person sits back down.
If you’ve every been in a meeting where people talk over each other, don’t respect each other enough to wait their turn to talk you know how those meetings drag on and resolve nothing. We can’t have that in the court room.