Jailed for a photo taker in court

[steve m smith]

<blockquote>

<p>Can't wear a hat in court?!</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You can in England..... but only if it's a hat which looks like long curly grey hair!</p>

[paulie_smith1]

<p>"but the justice system should be respected."<br>

Why?</p>

[Landrum Kelly]

<blockquote>

<p>I would say jail is a tad harsh, but the justice system should be respected.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>I see somebody beat me to it:<strong> WHY? </strong></p>

<p>WHO SAID THAT IT WAS THE "JUSTICE" SYSTEM? It is the "legal system." Justice has absolutely nothing to do with it.</p>

<p>--Lannie</p>

[MichaelChang]

<p>Lannie, in Canada, the Legal System falls within the System of Justice; I presume it's also the case in the US, so I think Richard's comment calling it the "justice system" is also correct. </p>

[Matt Laur]

<blockquote>

<p>It is the "legal system." Justice has absolutely nothing to do with it.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You think there would be more justice <em>without</em> a consitutionally defined and protected legal system? More justice <em>without</em> a judge's ability to deal with a violent defendent's buddy who's in court disrupting the proceedings and snapping pictures of the vicitim he beat up? The hand-wringing would be about a lot more serious stuff if the judge did<em> not</em> have that important latitude.<br /><br />Read the whole story, and understand that justice has everything to do with it.</p>

[andylynn]

<p>The entire reason why rules like this are needed and have to be followed is to promote justice. The guy who was jailed was <em>taking photos of a violent crime victim to share with the attckers</em>. In court. And that was just the last of his interruptions.</p>

<p>Making sure that a crime victim has his day in court and can testify without fear of intimidation is justice. Bending some rules to allow somebody to more easily intimidate that person is not justice. The kid was not jailed for photography, the kid was jailed for repeatedly interrupting a proceeding after being warned and intimidating a witness.</p>

[dan_south]

<p>A photo taken in a courtroom or a courthouse couple put the lives of witnesses, jurors, or counsel in jeopardy. That's why there are rules against it. Ignorance of the law is no excuse.</p>

[colin carron]

<blockquote>

<p>"but the justice system should be respected."<br />Why?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Well, the alternatives are really not that attractive are they? We in the UK had a little burst of rioting a while back. It didn't last long and mostly took the form of extreme shopping. There were also a few deaths as some racial violence briefly appeared. The whole epsode made people very aware that when laws are not respected even by a small minority then ordinary life becomes impossible and we all live in fear of the mob.</p>

<p>Is that a sufficient reason?</p>