How Not To 'Sweet Talk' A Judge

Why are University of Bridgeport students / graduates so prone to violence? First there was Faisal Shahzad, the Times Square bomber (Bridgeport ’00). Now there’s Michael Williams:

Police said a University of Bridgeport student angrily confronted Probate Judge Paul Ganim (pictured) during the Puerto Rican parade, throwing candy into the judge’s face.

Michael Williams, 26, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was charged with breach of peace and threatening. He was released after posting $2,500 bond.

The story gets even more bizarre. What kind of candy?

It appears that Williams wanted to give Judge Ganim a taste of his own medicine:

According to police, Ganim had been marching alongside a convertible car tossing Tootsie Rolls to young children along the parade route when he was confronted by Williams.

Police said Williams grabbed Ganim around the face in an effort to stop him from throwing more candy.

He then reached into a box in the open car, grabbing handfuls of Tootsie Rolls and began shoving the candy into Ganim’s face….

Why was Williams so angry at Judge Ganim? Did he have a bad probate experience as a child, which he associates with taking candy from strangers?

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Or does he just hate Tootsie Rolls? If so, that’s understandable; in the Halloween hierarchy, Tootsie Rolls are a pretty weak treat. They’re second only to Twizzlers in undesirability.

According to police, Williams shouted these words as he tried to shove candy in the poor judge’s face:

“I’m from Brooklyn, I’ll knock you out!”

Alas, Brooklyn doesn’t have the same bad-ass street cred that it once did. These days Brooklyn is home to high-end fiction writers and Biglaw associates (and partners too, especially in Brooklyn Heights).

Here’s the last great detail about the incident:

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Police said Williams later defended his actions claiming it was his right to do it under “freedom of speech.”

But Williams did more than just exercise his free speech rights — which is why he’s now facing charges.

Since this whole weird episode reads likes one of the “Easy” Bar-Bri sample questions, let’s turn it into a review opportunity for our readers who are studying for the bar exam.

  • What are the possible criminal offenses that Williams could be charged with as a result of his conduct?
  • What civil claims could Judge Ganim pursue against Williams?
  • What defenses could Williams raise in either a criminal or civil case against him?

Place your responses in the comments. Enjoy.

Man shoves candy into judge’s face during parade [Connecticut Post]