Brickbat: Hanging Judge

A Texas grand jury has indicted Uvalde County Judge William Ross Mitchell on a charge of official oppression after he ordered the detention of a UPS driver who angered him while delivering packages to the courthouse. Mitchell became angry when the driver left packages on the first floor rather than carry them to the third floor because the elevator wasn't working. Mitchell instructed a deputy to detain him and had him handcuffed briefly before releasing him. The State Commission on Judicial Conduct has suspended Mitchell without pay pending the resolution of the case.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Cox had requested footage of the incident from a hallway security camera, but he was told that "Judge (William) Mitchell alone decides if you get it," KSAT reported.

Classic.

A wise judge would have ordered the packages be cut in half to see which floor's door really loved them. A wise Uvalde LEO would have cowered outside while the young packages were being shot at.

[Cyto]

Would be nice if more jurisdictions did something about such abuses of power by the judiciary. There are plenty of viral videos of "tough" judges tacking on months or even years of prison time for a defendant expressing anger or distress at a verdict. Nobody seems to worried about that.

In fact, this is yet another large story that begs for a journalist with an interest in civil liberties to go digging and do some real reporting.

Or you could keep posting hot takes about other people's reporting like everyone on X.

[SQRLSY]

I got yer "package" right here, Judge, Your Honor-Dude-Sir!!! Cum and get it, before shit gets slippery when wet!!!

[Gasman]

"Mitchell instructed a deputy to detain him and had him handcuffed briefly before releasing him."
Why would the deputy not have a duty to refuse an illegal order?