01 August 2005

Mr. Lammers Has No Rights . . .

Client is pleading guilty. Before the judge will accept the plea he has to question the client as to whether he understands the rights he is giving up, has discussed the case with his lawyer, and understands what he is charged with. The Judge begins his questioning:
Judge: Mr. Smith,you have a lot of rights in this courtroom. Mr. Lammers doesn't have any rights here. You have a number of rights . . .
Gotta admit, I was standing there in the half-listening state you find yourself in when hearing the same questions you've heard thousands of times. However, when I heard the judge strip me of all my civil liberties just because I had walked into his courtroom my head did snap up.

2 comments:

Mister DA said...

Interesting point. _Do_ you (we) have any rights in the courtroom? Oh, I'm pretty sure we have the right not to be shot out of hand by the baliff, and probably a right to expect (not always receive) civil treatment from his or her honor, but what else?

Freedom of speech - not hardly!
Keep and Bear Arms - LOL!
Free from unreasonable searches? Ha!

OK, the 5th is going to apply - eventually. As is the 6th, most of the time. But that contempt power. . .

I _know_ all judges think this way, I'm just surprised your's was so careless as to actaully admit it.

Ken Lammers said...

So, what you're saying is that if I was allowed to exercise my right to bear arms in the courtroom the judge would be more polite to me?