Hinds County Circuit Judge Adrienne Wooten cleared the courtroom today and tried to place everyone under a gag order in the Anthony Fox trial.
Critical social media posts apparently drew the judge's ire today. She placed a gag order on the parties, attorneys, and family members. However, the judge's wrath didn't end with the lawyers but extended to what little media was present. Yup. She tried to place a gag order on Therese Apel of Darkhorse Press before clearing the courtroom.
The judge also took umbrage at a prayer vigil that was held outside the courthouse for the Clinton police officer yesterday morning.
Kingfish note: Well judge, since you don't know the law, perhaps it's time you did some learnin'. Check out Gannett v. Hand, 571 So. 2d 941(1990) before clearing the courtroom:
Because of the frequency with which closure orders have been entered in the trial courts of our State, we find it is time that this Court issue some procedural guidelines as to how closure motions should be handled in the trial courts in order to protect the First Amendment rights of the press and public, qualified though they be in the face of an overriding interest such as fair-trial rights of a defendant. Beginning with the principle that the press and public are entitled to notice and a hearing before a closure order is entered, we hold that any submission in a trial court for closure, either by a party or on the court's own motion, and be it a letter, written motion, or oral motion either in chambers or open court, must be docketed, as notice to the press and public, in the court clerk's office for at least 24 hours before any hearing on such submission, with the usual notice to all parties. This requirement should not be taken to mean that a greater notice period may not be afforded where feasible. Preferably the submission should be a written motion if time and circumstances allow.
A hearing must be held in which the press is allowed to intervene on behalf of the public and present argument, if any, against closure. The movant must be required to “advance an overriding interest that is likely to be prejudiced, the closure must be no broader than necessary to protect that interest, the trial court must consider reasonable alternatives to closing the proceedings, and it must make findings adequate to support the closure.
51 comments:
No blessings from the media for this petulant judge.
Fish,
You think Wootsie even knows a damn thing about law? Shit this is the "biggest" embarrassment of the judiciary that I can think of. All she did in the House of Reps was wag her head like Sha-nay-nay and scream and yell.
This is a prime example of why Jackson is in the shape that it is in. Its leaders, and I use that term loosely, are absolutely incompetent nincompoops. With all due respect to nincompoops across the globe.
Enjoy what you choose to lead you.
Here come the judge
here come the judge
Everybody knows
That she is the judge.
Can a criminal defendant be gagged? Can the colonist be silenced by the court because he complains about mistreatment by the crown? I’m sure the lawyers will say yes but I think I need to retake civics because I don’t understand. #foxstrong#fox#foxyjudge#foxinthehenhouse
Signed ignorant red neck rube.
I don't think a single person who had to work with or for the House of Representatives when Wooten was a member was sad when she left. The bad news is that she can do much more lasting damage where she is now.
She better then all yall including the wannabe judge who run this little hate blog
She needs counseling. Always angry.
wooten need to be removed from the bench by the mississippi committee on judicial performance.
Wooten is an idiot-
@2:55. Thank you Your honor for the post. And yes, The Kingfish would be a great replacement for you. He does have a grasp of the law unlike some other judges.
Wonder if she gave her campaign speech to the jury panel in this case like she has been doing in other cases lately? Also, that Order was hard to read.
Re: 2:55……..incredible how some people interpret good ole’ common sense as hate!!!
@2:55
Proper grammar would be appreciated when trolling...
Don't see where Darkhorse is mentioned in the gag. She can't gag press.
Can't wait to see her head explode when she finds out she can't arbitrarily close her court to the press inquiries.
3:55: read it again.
"She better then all yall including the wannabe judge who run this little hate blog", they yelled from the peanut gallery.
The Hinds County judiciary is a complete and total embarassment.
Ok, many of us are not attorneys. Can you explain this in laymens terms or “common people who don’t have a law degree terminology?”
That darkhorse website is weird. Is it just supposed to be a police propaganda site or am I missing something?
How does one "gag" a hashtag? I can't see that the order applies to a news organization.
@4:44
Independent startup news site run by a veteran TV journalist (Terese Apel) who does exactly like JJ and all local news media, and creates “media” out of law enforcement public information releases.
Did you see the latest JPD Safety Tip?
"Avoid driving alone or at night."
I kid you not.
She’s a lunatic with power. She needs to be never, ever be an elected official. Ask her how she abused her power to cover up her hubby’s dui?
@5:31 PM, in other words the free market is working.
Don't expect any of the reliable whiners that lurk here (such as yourself) to step up and compete.
If the judge places an gag order on KF, will we be required to unread this article?
Apel was at the trial every day until that whackjob judge closed the courtroom illegally.
Terese April is a law enforcement groupie putting it nicely.
4 years ago, because she is black, she defeated a white candidate that was a summa cum laude grad of MSU, SA President of MSU, MBA from Millsaps, University of Texas Law school graduate and Captain of the Moot Court, PHD in Criminal Justice from USM, Rhodes Scholarship finalist, partner in an old prestigious law firm, but carried the "kiss of death". He was WHITE.
Therese Apel is one of the best and most impartial investigative journalists within the State of Mississippi.
@6:28 PM - If KF is gagged he can VETO the gag order.
I would think that any vigils, demonstrations or other gatherings in support of or in opposition to any criminal defendant or other party to a trial occurring on courthouse grounds would be concerning to the court due to the possibility of influencing or intimidating jurors. If the vigil in this case was on courthouse grounds, I think the judge has valid concerns.
With respect to the gag order issue, the Supreme Court has issued some pretty specific restrictions on judges. Shouldn't be hard to find them. Shouldn't be hard to follow them.
I never dealt with a “gag order,” but I don’t see how she has jurisdiction over family members of parties.
@6:28 putting it nicely would say TA is badge bunny
@6:38 no Wooten fan here, but Matt Allen lost not because he’s white. She obliterated him in a television debate. It was clear he was in over his head.
She is certainly black, but that won't be a winning argument assuming someone wants to tee this order up. She is a Mississippi lawyer-turned-judge so I'll accept that the odds of her being an idiot are higher than average. Again, that probably wouldn't be the best argument to make to the MSSC/COA for obvious reasons...most of them wouldn't understand it.
That out of the way, has anyone with standing to challenge the order done so formally or even merely complained of it informally? If the order is accurate, neither the prosecution nor (most importantly) the defendant objected to it contemporaneously. Thus far it appears from the cheap seats that she hasn't barred the press from covering public portions of the trial. Unless the MSSC wants to wade into this sua sponte (but see above), until it is enforced against someone with standing to challenge it, it is of no effect or moment.
For the non-lawyers, it'd be sort of like the judge ordering you not to put shaving cream in your coffee this morning: you weren't going to anyway so you don't care and I don't have a dog in the fight so I couldn't be a Karen and stick my nose in to complain to her or her supervisors about it in your place.
I have appeared in Wooten’s court. The fact that she is black is not an issue. Simply put, she is not very smart.
@6:48 she cant ride around being a cop hanger on at night and claim to be impartial by day
When logic, skill set, and qualifications are no longer the metrics used to create leaders this is what you get.
Many of us saw this coming but the woke train is unstoppable.
There is no doubt that Affirmative Action laws were needed, but common sense left the chat years ago and was replaced with reparations by hiring and electing incompetent, unqualified minorities.
Just imagine how many Wooten-doctors you'll get to meet in your lifetime.
We will all pay for the virtue signaling lunacy sooner or later.
Not very smart is putting it nicely. And then there's the fact she has the same chip on her shoulder as did Pat Wise making her treat everyone badly. And the fact she is nuts. Anyone who thinks they want a career in law should sit in her courtroom for an hour. Do you really want to be treated like garbage by an idiot?
11:20. Nice try. There was no "television debate".
@8:58
Treated like garbage for $25 an hour or treated like garbage for $250 an hour? Not a tough decision!
6:38 p.m., Education credentials are great for getting that first job out of law school, and some continue to be impressed by that. After that first job, in reality, it comes down to experience and continued willingness to learn.
I've practiced against some blue-chip law school graduates who seemed to stop learning after they passed the bar. Several years out, the ones I'm thinking about were basically incompetent in practice.
7:35 a.m., I seriously doubt you are as smart as you seem to think you are, nor the rest of us as dumb.
11:20 -- do you have a link to the debate or can it be found easily?
12:56PM wrote, "7:35 a.m., I seriously doubt you are as smart as you seem to think you are, nor the rest of us as dumb."
So are you a MS lawyer, judge, or both?
To be fair, there are very smart and very learned MS lawyers and judges today and throughout MS legal history. Unfortunately, not nearly as many today as there could or should be and the number is shrinking. Plus there is an atypical number of, er, lesser legal minds and that number is growing. One cause is that like many other professions, Mississippi doesn't produce a lot of bright legal lights "in-house" and many of that few leave for brighter futures elsewhere. Those are just the facts as they exist.
Therese Apel is a great journalist. It was a big loss to WLBT when she left. Her articles are facts without editorializing as we have become accustomed to these days. I wish Darkhorse Press well.
1:59, To answer your question, I am a practicing Mississippi attorney. But I'm sure someone with your clearly-superior intellect already knew that, since I wrote above that "I've practiced against some blue-chip law school graduates . . . "
I also presume you must know the difference between facts and opinions. Maybe you can enlighten us dim bulbs and explain the factual basis of your opinions, and perhaps your qualifications for rendering them.
Citations would be appreciated. Not that the opinions of a mental giant such as yourself need verification, but please provide them anyway, just for grins.
Thanks in advance. -12:56
"Maybe you can enlighten us dim bulbs and explain the factual basis of your opinions..."
I'm not going to string cite 100s of examples, but as some highlights:
Lawyers:
Walter Nixon (also in the judge category), Bobby DeLaughter, Ed Peters, Tim Balducci, Steve Patterson, Zach Scruggs (with a partial pardon for being young and stupid, plus seemingly turning his life around), Carlos Moore, Jon Seawright and others not yet public, etc., etc., etc.
Judges:
Again, Walter Nixon, but also, pick any 500 MSSC/COA opinions in the last 20 years and if at least 200 aren't evidence enough for you that both the lower courts and the appellate courts are...lacking in legal scholarship...turn in your bar card. Also, note the number of pro hac co-counsels. Hell, the Willie Manning debacle (criminal) and the Eaton Corp-Frisby Aerospace (civil) clusterfuck provide a fair amount of evidence in just two piles. To be clear, I am not saying ALL current or recent lower and appellate court judges are...less than bright legal lights, just waaaay too many of them.
Again, there are a few excellent and learned judges who came from the small pool of excellent and learned lawyers, but any MS lawyer who claims the state's bench and bar are an unfettered source of professional pride is part of the problem. The likelihood of, for example, a modern Virgil Griffith or Karl Wiesenburg (who came from NYC to MS!) not only being produced by a MS law school, but once so produced, remaining in MS is very small and shrinking by the year. It's a shame that need not be.
9:40, Thanks for the follow up comment. The attorneys you cite appear to all stem from three different corruption scandals; the judges stem from two, which involved some of the same individuals.
The underlying problem in those cases seems to be one of character (as in the character of criminals), and the players were prosecuted in criminal proceedings.
On a different note, I believe, as KF has pointed out in the past, that appellate jurists retiring before their terms expire, for the purpose of allowing the governor to fill the seats by appointment, is an undemocratic process that needs to stop.
-12:56/10:58
Oh, yes. This is the JJ comment board I love and hold dear. As a reminder, this comment board is filled with the brightest, most knowledgeable, intellectually stimulating, thought-provoking, Google masters the inter-webs has ever assembled in one blog. As always, I tip my hat to the masters.
4:55. Hitting "LIKE" button with vigor.
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