Judge Orders Man's Mouth Taped Shut During His Sentencing
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CLEVELAND, Ohio (CBS Local) - An Ohio judge had enough of being repeatedly interrupted by a chatty defendant and had the man's mouth taped shut during a sentencing hearing.
32-year-old Franklyn Williams was convicted for his involvement in three armed robberies and was brought before Judge John Russo on July 31 to hear his punishment. Before Russo could deliver his decision, Williams reportedly refused to stop talking.
"Mr. Williams, I'm the judge in the matter, shut your mouth and I will tell you when you can talk," the Cleveland judge told Williams, according to WREG. Despite the warning, the convicted robber continued to argue with his lawyers, the judge, and complained about his representation.
When the outbursts continued, Russo ordered officers to use tape to close Williams' mouth for the rest of the hearing.
In a quieted down courtroom, Judge Russo sentenced the 32-year-old to 24 years in prison, 10 years longer than his original sentence. The armed robber was granted an appeal after it was found that Williams was misinformed about the details of his first prison sentence.
