Disorder in the Court: Great Fractured Moments in Courtroom History

By: Charles M. Sevilla

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Synopsis: From the book: PRO PER MOTION (E. Grossman, Berkeley) THE COURT DO you understand, sir, that if I permit you to represent yourself, it will be without the assistance of an attorney and that you're going to be held to all the technical rules of evidence in criminal procedure? DEFENDANT Yeah. I'll have to stop at the library and get a book on law. THE COURT And you understand you will get access to the jail library? DEFENDANT Yeah. THE COURT DO you understand that the case as presented by the State will be handled by an experienced district attorney who's very specialized in the area of criminal law, who has had extensive court trials and jury trials, and that you won't be entitled to any special consideration? DEFENDANT All I really need is the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, a Holy Bible and a handgun. Uses of Language (Keith Arthur, Stockton, CA) THE COURT You were picked up on a new 245? DEFENDANT I don't know if it was 245, 645, 345. They picked me up on something, all right? Okay? Then when they also had me on that, he gave me a motherfucking charge for prostitution. COUNSEL Don't use language like that to the judge. DEFENDANT Prostitution? What? Prostitution? What you want me to say? They picked me up for prostitution.