Pro Se Litigants

The Best Transcript Of All Time? You Be The Judge.

The defendant was jaw-droppingly rude, although the judge wasn't great either.

By David Lat on June 23, 2016 12:24 pm

It’s certainly up there. Former ATL columnist Keith Lee issued this verdict:

https://twitter.com/associatesmind/status/745637860670332929

Over at Gawker, Hudson Hongo highlights the amazing exchanges between Judge Bryant Durham and defendant Denver Allen, who stands accused of beating fellow jail inmate Stephen Rudolph Nalley to death. For example:

contempt 1

Ah yes, escalating contempts for repeatedly telling a judge to perform a sex act on himself — we’ve seen this trick before. Not very original on Denver Allen’s part.

But wait, it gets better (or worse):

contempt 2

I’m guessing that Denver Allen suffers from some mental health issues. His rejection of a public defender in favor of representing himself, which is why he does so much talking in this transcript, doesn’t inspire confidence. Nor does his mugshot:

Denver Fentoa Allen

So in some ways I’m more troubled by how Judge Durham conducted himself:

Contempt 3

Call me overly sensitive or politically correct, but I’m not a fan of a judge referring to “butt boys” and telling a defendant he “look[s] like a queer.” The defendant was being exceedingly contumacious, to be sure, but a judge should really act more… judiciously. The fact that this took place in Georgia simply reinforces all the negative stereotypes we northerners have about the south.

And no, it’s not over — it ain’t over until there’s discussion of masturbating in open court:

contempt 4

“Yes, they’re getting it.” Because it’s really important for the court reporter to capture ever single word of this gem of a transcript.

Interested in seeing more? Perhaps the part where Denver Allen threatens to kill Judge Durham’s family, earning himself more contempt and charges of making terroristic threats? Read the transcript in all its glory.

UPDATE (8/4/2016, 1:40 p.m.): At San Diego Comic Con, the panel for the Adult Swim show Rick and Morty took the transcript to a whole new level, turning it into a fabulous cartoon.

“Fuckman-Ass” Judge and “Donkey-Dicked” Murder Suspect Are America’s Greatest Comic Duo [Gawker]
Murder suspect threatens to kill judge’s family [Rome News-Tribune]

Earlier: Anatomy Of A Contempt — Just Keep Telling The Judge To F**k Himself

David Lat is the founder and managing editor of Above the Law and the author of Supreme Ambitions: A Novel. You can connect with David on Twitter (@DavidLat), LinkedIn, and Facebook, and you can reach him by email at [email protected].