NationStates Jolt Archive

Thanking Jesus in Court Lands Hawaiian Man in Jail
Monday, July 17, 2006

HONOLULU — Junior Stowers raised his hands and exclaimed, "Thank you, Jesus!" in court last month when he was acquitted by a jury of abusing his son.

But his joy was short-lived when Circuit Judge Patrick Border held him in contempt of court for the "outburst" and threw him in jail.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,204013,00.html

He was released after six hours but still....charging him with contempt for saying Thank you Jesus? Come on. That is just plain dumb.

He even wanted to apologize to the judge but the judge said no.

No one told him that there were to be no outbursts and the contempt charge was dropped because there was no time to tell him no outbursts in the court room.

Stupidity yet again in American Courts.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,204013,00.html

He was released after six hours but still....charging him with contempt for saying Thank you Jesus? Come on. That is just plain dumb.

He even wanted to apologize to the judge but the judge said no.

No one told him that there were to be no outbursts and the contempt charge was dropped because there was no time to tell him no outbursts in the court room.

Stupidity yet again in American Courts.
Ah, no, this should be headlined, "Man Shouts in Court, Charged With Contempt." The judge may have been a bit trigger-happy, but that's about it. This is not news.

Oh come on. If he had yelled 'Thank you Allah!' or even 'Freaking Awesome!' you wouldn't have made a peep. You're just upset because he's not allowed to scream 'Jesus' in a courtroom.

Besides, this doesn't seem like stupidity at all. He made an outburst when all outbursts were forbidden, and was held accountable. Then, when they figured out it was all a mistake and the guy had no idea he was required to be quiet, they dropped the complaint. I'd say the system is working fine.

I agree that it was a silly charge to begin with but...

"Court minutes said Border later dropped the charge because he realized Stowers' trial lawyer, Deputy Public Defender Carmel Kwock, did not have time to tell Stowers the judge had ordered both sides not to show emotion when the verdict was announced."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/14/AR2006071401305.html

Oh come on. If he had yelled 'Thank you Allah!' or even 'Freaking Awesome!' you wouldn't have made a peep. You're just upset because he's not allowed to scream 'Jesus' in a courtroom.

I would've done the samething as I did here.

Besides, this doesn't seem like stupidity at all. He made an outburst when all outbursts were forbidden, and was held accountable. Then, when they figured out it was all a mistake and the guy had no idea he was required to be quiet, they dropped the complaint. I'd say the system is working fine.

He wasn't told there weren't supposed to be an outburst. That was why the charge was dropped. Heck, he wanted to apologize to the judge for his outburst.

I agree that it was a silly charge to begin with but...

"Court minutes said Border later dropped the charge because he realized Stowers' trial lawyer, Deputy Public Defender Carmel Kwock, did not have time to tell Stowers the judge had ordered both sides not to show emotion when the verdict was announced."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/14/AR2006071401305.html

That is indeed correct. If he had been told, I would've backed up the judge but he wasn't told and offered to apologize to the Judge in question. Quite big of him really to offer to apologize.

That is indeed correct. If he had been told, I would've backed up the judge but he wasn't told and offered to apologize to the Judge in question. Quite big of him really to offer to apologize.
That's true but I still back up the judge. He thought that the man was told and when he learned the details, he dropped the charges. I think it's unfortunate that the man chose to thank Jesus because it makes the issue seem bigger than it really is. If he yelled, "YIPPEE!", it wouldn't make the press that it did.

I would've done the samething as I did here.

I have a very hard time believing that. I suspect you wouldn't have done anything, and I KNOW that Fox News would not have bothered to report on such a mundane matter if it hadn't involved someone being silenced for saying 'Jesus.' The article makes that abundantly clear.

He wasn't told there weren't supposed to be an outburst. That was why the charge was dropped. Heck, he wanted to apologize to the judge for his outburst.

Like I said, no stupidity. Misunderstanding, perhaps, but no stupidity. The system worked itself out.

That's true but I still back up the judge. He thought that the man was told and when he learned the details, he dropped the charges. I think it's unfortunate that the man chose to thank Jesus because it makes the issue seem bigger than it really is. If he yelled, "YIPPEE!", it wouldn't make the press that it did.

Now that last sentence, I wouldn't argue with.

this should be headlined, "Man Shouts in Court, Charged With Contempt."

Seconded

Personally, I think if he shouted, "I'm Going To DIsneyworld!" or pointed at the prosecutor and shouted, "You missed me, bitch!" He woud have been just as jailed. :)

Let's see:

http://www.kpua.net/news.php?id=8802


Judge: Ok you guys no emotion when the verdict is announced.
Lawyer forgets to tell the guy.
Guy screams.
Judge charges him.
Judge is told he didn't know he wasn't supposed to do that.
Judge drops charge.

How is that stupid?

Unless of course it's da ebil librul actatis courts are at it again right?

The man made an outburst after the judge disallowed outbursts, so he was charged with contempt. Rightly so.

After the judge learned he was not informed of the rules, the charge was dropped.

Is the anything substantial in this?

This isn't news, this isn't absurd, this isn't stupid, this isn't a problem. Why was this even posted?

Is the point of this thread "Fox channel fills their website and airtime with garbage, and then people spread that garbage around elsewhere" ???

Thats the only point I can get from it.

Everything here is just guessing, we need a better source.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13867491/

So again:

The judge may have been a little quick on the trigger but: he specifically said no outbursts.

The attorney did not warn her client, and he made an outburst.

The judge punished the defendant, until he was alerted that the defendant had not been warned.

The judge dropped the charges.

Sounds pretty unfair to me. I mean gee, not sticking to one's guns in the face of one's error. How dare he release Stowers from jail?

Don't worry, I won't.

Oh come on. If he had yelled 'Thank you Allah!' or even 'Freaking Awesome!' you wouldn't have made a peep. You're just upset because he's not allowed to scream 'Jesus' in a courtroom.

Besides, this doesn't seem like stupidity at all. He made an outburst when all outbursts were forbidden, and was held accountable. Then, when they figured out it was all a mistake and the guy had no idea he was required to be quiet, they dropped the complaint. I'd say the system is working fine.
As would I, but meh!

Wow.. so the kids recanted their testimony on the stand and admitted they'd lied about being hit.. that's some once-in-a-blue-moon Perry Mason stuff.. :p

On the other hand, you'd think the guy would be less than shocked with the verdict under the circumstances..

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13867491/

So again:

The judge may have been a little quick on the trigger but: he specifically said no outbursts.

The attorney did not warn her client, and he made an outburst.

The judge punished the defendant, until he was alerted that the defendant had not been warned.

The judge dropped the charges.

Sounds pretty unfair to me. I mean gee, not sticking to one's guns in the face of one's error. How dare he release Stowers from jail?


Honestly, if it had been, by some bizzare twist of fate, flight of fantasy and contradiction of plain fact "The Honorable" George Bush presiding, mr stowers would have been left to rot.

Some people call it driving into an iceberg, America calls it staying the course.

Honestly, if it had been, by some bizzare twist of fate, flight of fantasy and contradiction of plain fact "The Honorable" George Bush presiding, mr stowers would have been left to rot.

Some people call it driving into an iceberg, America calls it staying the course.

So....since it's been pretty much established that there was no controversy here afterall, you had to find a way to slam the USA and Pres. Bush?

Sigh...

The man made an outburst after the judge disallowed outbursts, so he was charged with contempt. Rightly so.

After the judge learned he was not informed of the rules, the charge was dropped.

Is the anything substantial in this?

This isn't news, this isn't absurd, this isn't stupid, this isn't a problem. Why was this even posted?

Is the point of this thread "Fox channel fills their website and airtime with garbage, and then people spread that garbage around elsewhere" ???

Thats the only point I can get from it.


too bad washington post and msnbc filled their airtime with it too according to the links in this post, and I'll bet you a shiny quarter that other media stations covered it as well

No one told him that there were to be no outbursts and the contempt charge was dropped because there was no time to tell him no outbursts in the court room.
So wait, if he yelled "Thank you Allah!", you wouldn't be making this thread?

So wait, if he yelled "Thank you Allah!", you wouldn't be making this thread?

what about buddah?

please note that I have not yet read the initial post

my bad

Oh come on. If he had yelled 'Thank you Allah!' or even 'Freaking Awesome!' you wouldn't have made a peep. You're just upset because he's not allowed to scream 'Jesus' in a courtroom.
Beat me to it.

:(

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,204013,00.html

He was released after six hours but still....charging him with contempt for saying Thank you Jesus? Come on. That is just plain dumb.

He even wanted to apologize to the judge but the judge said no.

No one told him that there were to be no outbursts and the contempt charge was dropped because there was no time to tell him no outbursts in the court room.

Stupidity yet again in American Courts.
This is a very clever thread

People reading the title would assume that he was held in contempt because he uttered Jesus in court, when in actual fact, it was just that he had an outburst, plain and simple. Contempt is contempt.

So wait, if he yelled "Thank you Allah!", you wouldn't be making this thread?

If it hit the news stations, yes I would make a thread even if he says "Thank you Allah"

If it hit the news stations, yes I would make a thread even if he says "Thank you Allah"
Would it be a religious topic?

Would it be a religious topic?

Probably have a similiar title as this one.

The contempt ruling had nothing to do with saying "Jesus," and everything to do with breaking the rules that the judge had spelled out.

Why do so many people think that the rules don't apply as long as Jesus is invoked? Get over yourselves. Christians have to follow the same rules as everybody else, and that does not in any way constitute oppression.

The contempt ruling had nothing to do with saying "Jesus," and everything to do with breaking the rules that the judge had spelled out.

Why do so many people think that the rules don't apply as long as Jesus is invoked? Get over yourselves. Christians have to follow the same rules as everybody else, and that does not in any way constitute oppression.
Agreed.

Some people call it driving into an iceberg, America calls it staying the course.

Correction. George Bush and his supporters call it, "Whoops! Can't ever admit I was wrong -- let's just bully the other 49% of the country and call it a mandate, and tell the rest of the world to shove it if they don't like it."

Kindly don't paint all of us with the same brush.

Please, I doubt this was because he said "Jesus". Stop acting like victimized Christians.

Don't Say "Thank You Jesus" in a Hawaiian Court!

Okie dokie!

Kindly don't paint all of us with the same brush.

We're all right wing neo-con environment hating towel head bombing jesus humping fanatics and you know it! :p

Correction. George Bush and his supporters call it, "Whoops! Can't ever admit I was wrong -- let's just bully the other 49% of the country and call it a mandate, and tell the rest of the world to shove it if they don't like it."

Kindly don't paint all of us with the same brush.
Um, clearly you have not receive the memo.

An "American" is now defined as, "A person who professes undying loyalty to The Party and our Most Glorious And Revered King George." If you don't profess your undying loyalty to The Party and The King, then you clearly are not American.

Keep in mind, also, that "non-American" is now defined as, "A homosexual Muslim communist abortion doctor who hates freedom."

I'm going to go wrap myself in the flag and start speaking in tongues now.

I'm going to go wrap myself in the flag and start speaking in tongues now.

Make sure that flag is on fire.