The Gorilla can’t tell you how many times he has been annoyed by other people’s cell phone abruptly ringing in the most inappropriate places. Recently he went to a school play at his child’s high school when suddenly in the midst of the silence, a phone rang causing everyone to a utter a simultaneous chorus of SHHHHH! How rude! Well apparently, that is exactly how a stressed out- and fed up- judge felt back in 2005, when he ordered an entire courtroom to be taken into custody because of someone’s cell phone ringing during one of his proceedings.
Niagra Falls Judge, Robert Restaino, was hearing a case involving domestic violence, when someone’s cell phone rang in the courtroom. He then demanded that the person come forward, but when no one did, he went a little crazy. ”Everyone is going to jail,” Restaino said. “Every single person is going to jail in this courtroom unless I get that instrument now. If anybody believes I’m kidding, ask some of the folks that have been here for a while. You are all going.” Unbelievably, a total of 46 people were jailed and 14 of them even had to be bused to another facility because they could not make their bail! The judge did order them to be released that afternoon and claimed that he was “under a lot of pressure and suffering from extreme stress.”
Well, too late, the harm was done. He went too far. Hey, the Gorilla would like to admit that he himself no longer carries a cell phone since he hates them so much. Yes, they are convenient and needed in emergencies, but let’s face it, they can sometimes make life miserable too. There have been times when the Gorilla would have enjoyed taking someone’s phone and tossing it in the water because they exercised poor etiquette, but even Gorilla’s must behave! Well, the Judge finally got what was coming to him for his severe overreaction because on Tuesday, Raoul Felder, chairman of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct wrote in the decision to remove Restaino from the $113,00-per-year post, and said “Judge Robert Restaino ’snapped’ and ‘engaged in what can only be described as two hours of inexplicable madness’ during the March 2005 session.” All the Gorilla can do with this one, is just scratch his head and sigh. No comment needed!
November 30th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
Personally, I think the Judge should have received a commendation. The inconsiderate person in the courtroom demonstrates the continued decline in civility and the acceptance of “I want to do my own thing and to hell with anyone else.” All of those the Judge put in jail should have STAYED in jail until the guilty person was revealed. They were in contempt of court. The Judge had every right to put all of them in jail.
This is yet another demonstration of society’s decline toward third world status. Road rage, do not spank your children, acceptance of unwed mothers and their irresponsible partners, do not say “Merry Christmas” because someone may be offended, the list goes on and on.
Well, the above listed conditions in America offend me greatly. But does anyone care? As Scrooge says in “A Christmas Carol” “I’ll retire to Bedlam.” What? You do not know what that means? Look it up. Maybe you can Google it since people do not have any patience.
And, by the way, Political Correctness be Damned.
December 1st, 2007 at 2:44 pm
No I don’t believe the rest should have been jailed..not fair to others that went ahead and shut cell phones off. I myself have to check couple times to be sure mine is off, someone could have made a mistake, it would appear it was the Judge!
December 3rd, 2007 at 2:42 pm
With power comes responsibility -as even Spiderman knows- and this judge certainly abused it by meting out collective punishment that a first-year law student would know is beyond the pale. If the job is too stressful, then it is time to get another job. Apart from the administrative sanction of removal from the bench I maybe would even like to see him get sued for unlawful imprisonment, violation of civil rights and so on.