Judge Leaves Bench, Removes Robe To Subdue Defendant [VIDEO]

Some might think McBain should be disciplined for hulking up against this guy. But not me.

No, not this McBain

No, not this McBain.

The country is fraying apart. Civility is dead. Faith in our institutions has evaporated. In this time of strife, we need McBain. Judge McBain.

No, I’m not talking about the Simpsons character. I’m talking about real life Jackson County, Michigan Circuit Judge John McBain. Defendant Jacob Larson appeared before Judge McBain for violating a protection order. Larson allegedly continued to contact a former girlfriend via Facebook after he was order to stop. Initially McBain sentenced him to three days in jail. But. Larson. Talked. Back!

The normally mild-mannered (I’m assuming) McBain became agitated. The sentenced jumped to 45 days. Then to 93. Larson kept running his mouth. McBain ordered deputized law clerk Jared Schultz to take Larson into custody. Larson mildly resisted, slapping Schultz’s hands away (kinda). No other law enforcement officers were in the Thunderdome… I mean “courtroom.”

McBain had seen enough. “TASE HIS ASS RIGHT NOW,” McBain shouted as he stood. McBain ripped off his judicial garb, revealing a perfect specimen of middle-aged Dad-ness. He and Schultz took Larson to the ground, whose pleas of “over Facebook, this is over Facebook,” could scarcely be heard over the rousing war song that was playing in McBain’s mind, probably.

Luckily, McBain’s histrionics heroics were preserved on video. The two-minute mark is about when things get real.

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“Remember when I said I’d eat you last? I lied.”

Some might think McBain should be disciplined for hulking up against this guy. But not me. Larson is an alleged jerkface who justified bothering an ex on Facebook by saying, according to Mlive.com:

“She’s instigating it,” Larson replied and talked about pictures she posted wearing a lot of makeup and with her “hair done and all that stuff, the full nine.”

Yeah… Tase his ass. Tase his ass even if he’s not resisting arrest.

McBain’s boss also thinks his actions were justified.

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The resulting takedown was a rare instance of a judge using physical force, one Jackson County Chief Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson said was allowable. “A judge has the power to take whatever action is necessary to maintain order in the courtroom,” he said and noted circuit court judges have arresting powers.

Wilson had seen the court recording of the hearing, but there is no review process for such incidents, he said.

I mean, in general I do not support judges losing their tempers. But McBain doesn’t lose his temper, he found it.

Aggravated judge tosses off robe, joins courtroom scuffle [Mlive.com]


Elie Mystal is an editor of Above the Law and the Legal Editor for More Perfect. He can be reached @ElieNYC on Twitter, or at elie@abovethelaw.com. Color him impressed.