Lots of F-Bombs to Judge; “No You” says Judge to Defendant! The Result?

So the police respond to a call regarding a gas station burglary. At the scene, they see old Bullock trying to hide. When told to halt, he runs – and crashes through a plate glass window. He was caught and taken to the hospital. When the cuffs were removed, and put on with his hands in front of him so he could be treated, he ran again! He was caught again, charged with unauthorized entry and simple escape, and convicted on both counts. As a multiple offender, Bullock was sentenced to 17 years at hard labor. (Shazam!) You can imagine this did not sit real well with him. Per the Court, “After the trial judge granted an oral motion for appeal and the appellate counsel was appointed, the following dialogue occurred between the trial judge and defendant:

THE DEFENDANT: Fuck you.
THE COURT: Back here.
THE DEFENDANT: Fuck you.
THE COURT: Back here, padner [sic]. Let the record reflect the defendant just told the Court twice “fuck you.”
THE DEFENDANT: Fuck you, asshole.
THE COURT: No, you, Mr. Bullock.
THE COURT: Three counts in direct contempt of court consecutive, 18 months. Do you want to go for two years?
THE DEFENDANT: Fuck you.
THE COURT: Two years direct contempt.
THE DEFENDANT: Fuck you, asshole.
THE COURT: Two years, six months.
THE DEFENDANT: Fuck you.
THE COURT: Three years consecutive contempt.
THE DEFENDANT: Fuck you, asshole.
THE COURT: Three [**13] and a half years, Mr. Bullock. Three years, six months, direct contempt of court consecutive to the 17 years the Court just gave him.
MR. JOHNSON [DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Just for the record, note an objection.
THE COURT: That will be noted also. Let’s go on the record as to James Bullock, so the Court of Appeals [sic] will know what happened. Mr. Bullock twice screamed “fuck you” to the Court after the Court had sentenced him. The Court found both to be in direct contempt and told the sheriff to escort him out of the courtroom. Mr. Bullock continued the entire way being escorted out of the courtroom, even after he was out of the courtroom before the sheriff’s [sic] could [*458] put him in a holding cell, continued to scream “fuck you” at the Court. The Court finds that each time he did this to be in direct contempt. It is six months on each one consecutive to the 17-year sentence the Court had just give [sic] him on the other charges.

Damn! Three and a half more years for that? Old Bullock appealed. What do you think the Supreme Court of Louisiana did?

They chucked the last four contempts, stating that “it is clear the last four insults came in response to a colloquy [“you too”] initiated by the trial judge.” As to the first three contempts, said the court:

Given the fact that all three were part of a single contemptuous episode … we feel a more appropriate penalty would be three concurrent six-month sentences, to run consecutively to defendant’s other sentences.

Bottom line: 7 F-bombs = 6 months. The case is State v. Bullock, 576 So.2d 453 (La. 1991).