Legal Juice
There are many times when you just say “yes sir” or “yes ma’am” or, and especially “yes, your honor.” And even if you’re not going to be polite, it’s just not a good idea to go all the way to the other end of the spectrum, as this gent in New Mexico found out. As reported by krqe.com (Albuquerque, New Mexico):
A man already facing an aggravated assault charge for allegedly attacking a bus driver got himself into even more trouble when he tried to talk tough to a judge Saturday.
So what brought this gent to court?
According to a criminal complaint, Thomas Crum tried to get onto a bus near Eubank and Copper on Friday with an expired bus pass. When the driver wouldn’t let him on, police say Crum pulled out a folding knife and threatened the driver with it before punching him across the face.
Crum was arrested and taken to jail.
It’s the bus driver’s fault your pass is expired? Mr. Crum is lucky he didn’t draw The Juice’s friend who drives a bus, or the story would have been “Bam! Bus driver serves up instant justice to attacking passenger. It was over after one punch.”
So what exactly went down with Mr. Crum and the Judge?
In court Saturday, he wanted Judge Daniel Ramczyk to let him go free without a bond.
“I would like you to release me on my own recognizance on the simple fact that I will not brandish arms,” Crum said. “I do not carry a gun.”
But given Crum’s criminal history in New Mexico and Texas, and pending shoplifting and DWI charges from separate cases, Ramczyk was not swayed. He still set a bond for Crum and ordered him not to ride on any city buses.
That’s when things got ugly.
Well, kind of ugly. It’s all relative, I guess. If you want to see “ugly,” click here. Back to Mr. Crum …
As Crum was being led away, he had some words for the officers with him that were picked up by the microphone.
“Don’t touch me man, don’t touch me dog, you already know what’s up,” Crum said. “I’m not afraid of you or that f***ing judge.”
That last comment made the judge furious.
“I find you in direct contempt of court for the disrespect and the foul language you used,” Ramczyk told Crum. “Shame on you.”
Even that wasn’t enough to keep Crum quiet.
“Do you know who I am?” he asked the judge before he was led away for the final time.
Yeah, you’re the guy who’s going to be sitting in jail unless he can come up with $1,000 (10% of the bond).
Crum was given a $10,000 cash or surety bond.
(Don’t forget who has served up thousands of Legal Juice posts over the past 10 years. (Yes, there are really thousands of posts at www.LegalJuice.com.) The Juice is a personal injury lawyer who represents folks injured in automobile, bicycle and pedestrian accidents in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia.)