Watch your back, Judge Judy

I think I may have found a new love in my life. Some people in Baltimore raised a bit of a stink about a judge that likes to--umm, shall we say--speak his mind. (No, he did not have anything to do with the infamous hit and run Florida case that was actually in Maryland). Amuse yourself with a few of my favorite of Judge Lamdin's remarks:

1. As to the complaint filed by Ronald Jacobson, Judge Lamdin admitted that during the course of his opening remarks for the afternoon docket, he made the following comment to the audience regarding a woman leaving the courtroom with her baby who was crying:

‘If she only knew how much I hate kids, she would not have brought that kid in here today.’

2. As to State v. Owens, #DG 10900, Judge Lamdin admitted that he asked the defendant, Hunter Coleman Owens, from Pennsylvania:

‘What’s the big rush to get back to Pennsylvania? It’s an ugly state.’

3. As to State v. Marsalak, #DG 16922, Judge Lamdin admitted that, during the course of the case in which defendant entered a not guilty agreed statement of facts to driving while suspended, he asked the defendant:

‘Would you like some cheese with that whine because I’ve heard about all that I wish to hear.’

4. As to State v. Kalp, #C 00239407, Judge Lamdin admitted that he stated the following to the Defendant during sentencing:

‘Now come on James, let’s be honest with each other. These problems have existed for you for now — now for 14 years. You must be the slowest study known to man. If you haven’t been able to figure out with all of your alcohol related offenses and now your drug arrest that you need to do something to help yourself, come on. Do you think I just came in on the watermelon truck today? … At Division of Correction they’ll spank him and probably release him in 4 months. Down there he can get all the drugs he wants probably.’

5. As to State v. Crook, #C 00239557, Judge Lamdin, in a case in which defendant entered a guilty plea to possession of paraphernalia and driving without a license, admitted that he made the following comments during the case:

‘Why did you drive so poorly? Smoke a little weed before you got behind the wheel? ... Smoke a little crack before you got behind the wheel? ... Well, you’ve got the appropriate last name.... All right crackhead, Crook.... You’ve got your money all tied up in the next shipment that’s coming in? Nevermind.... My comment was, do you have all your money tied up in product?’

6. As to State v. Jones, #C 00241933, Judge Lamdin, in a case in which defendant entered a not guilty agreed statement of facts to driving while suspended, admitted that he made the following comments during the case:

‘Well Mr. Jones, the hits keep coming. I mean, if there is a pile of shit there you’ll step in it… Because when you sleep with dogs you generally wake up with fleas and you’ve been scratching the better part of your life…. Date du jour — Going by the bowling alley to pick her up. She’s messed up on drugs and I’m sure you were probably contributing to that…. You gave her money to go cop whatever she’s hooked on… So he’s just a huge burden to everyone. . . . So am I doing the tax-payers justice by locking this stupid ass up for additional time or am I just punishing the taxpayers? But is he one of the biggest dumb asses I’ve ever seen? Absolutely. . . . My guess is, released he will surely step in the next pile of shit with another week or 2… give you an opportunity to find your big pile and step in it again…. I could give some time to get money together to pay a fine, but then I’d punish your children and they are already punished enough by having you for a father…. They’re dealing with the bottom of the deck right now…. Get your head out of where it has been inserted for the last number of years.’

7. As to State v. Nestor, #C 00240723, Judge Lamdin admitted, in a case in which the defendant entered a not guilty agreed statement of facts to malicious destruction of property and the defendant’s mother, the victim of the criminal act, asked the judge to put her son in a drug treatment program, that he made the following comments:

‘I understand your cry for help…. My guess is also that at one time you offered in the past to pay for his treatment…. You got the wrong Judge today. I am not one of those touchy feely judges that goes for programs where everyone holds hands and sings kum ba ah and then they hand out lollipops to each other and gift certificates.’

8. As to State v. Holmes, #C 00228211, Judge Lamdin admitted, in a case in which defendant entered a not guilty agreed statement of facts to a charge of assignation, and defendant also had a detainer in Baltimore City, that he made the following comments during the case:

‘Who put up your bond money for you, your pimp? Business must be good.’