Sep 2nd 2009 By Jeremy Taylor

Judge Uses Duct Tape to Silence Defendant

After a contentious four-minute argument, Municipal Court judge Stephen F. Belden decided he had had just about enough of defendant Harry Brown's mouth. So he had his bailiff shut it with duct tape.

Belden said he first heard of this unconventional way of maintaining order in the court at a training session, but hadn't had to resort to it during his previous 12 years on the bench.

For his part, Brown, who was silenced during a pretrial hearing on charges of shoplifting and fighting with Wal-Mart security guards, claims that he lost some mustache hairs during the duct tape's painful removal, and is thinking of filing a complaint with the Ohio Supreme Court.

This may be an uphill battle for Brown, for despite our founding fathers' clear love of justice and facial hair, the Sixth Amendment contains no provision for a defendant's right to an intact mustache.

From the Web:

Duct Tape Gamer (I-Am-Bored)

Duct Tape Baby Sitter (College Humor)

5 Ways You're Treated Like a Criminal Every Day. (COED)

Cheating Man Wears Sandwich Board As Punishment. (Lemondrop)

Tags: Criminal Justice - CriminalJustice - Duct Tape - DuctTape - mustache - Stephen F. Belden - StephenF.Belden

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Wednesday 02 September

By James

Lowest Rank

Just another example of how the judges in the US have gotten out of hand. What happen to rights like the right to free speech? And the right to a fair trial, which includes telling your side of the story. These judges think they own the Courts, but they don't. They are EMPLOYEES of the people. In what job can an employee tell an employer to shut up and even forcibly prevent that person from speaking. This is nothing more than assault and battery and the judge and his bailiff should be criminally charged!!! We need to get back to what the Supreme Court ruled in the early 1900s. That a judge who violates the rights of a party has committed fraud against the State and the parties and has committed treason against the Constitution. Instead the people have allowed them to illegally give themselves immunity from criminal charges even though this violates the same Constitution they took an oath to uphold. Oh well, I guess since there is equal protection under the law then we have the same right to give ourselves immunity as they have given themselves!

Wednesday 02 September

By Bill

Lowest Ranked

Tell that to Bobby Seal

Wednesday 02 September

By Lee

Highest Rank

It is very obvious that you've never been to court a day in your life (of maybe you've spent most of it there lol). At any rate you don't know enough to be trying to address the people lol. Shad-Up!

Wednesday 02 September

By justlegalizeit09

Highest Rank

people, if someone ever puts duct tape over your mouth just stick out ur tounge and lick it.... duct tape cant stick when wet..... tip of the day....

Thursday 03 September

By Tired of Morons

Lowest Rank

You are certifiably and idiot, either move to crawford texas where all idiots go to spend their free time or shut up. Christ almighty, did you pay attention in Political Science..oh wait no you never went to college..pity it would have helped lower the grading curve

Wednesday 02 September

By TANYA PERRY

Lowest Rank

ARE YOU KIDDING ME IF THAT WAS A PARENT TO PUT TAPE ON A SASSY KID THAT SAME JUDGE WOULD PUT YOU IN JAIL OR FINE YOU FOR CHILD ABUSE WHERE DO THESE JUGES THINK THEY CAN JUST DO WHAT THE PLEASE BECAUSE THEY ARE THERE AND OPENLY ABUSE SOMEONE ELSE CHILD WOULD HE LIKE IT IF SOME TAPED HIS MOUTH SHUT WHEN THEY GET TIRED OF HEARING HIM OR GO TO HIS HOME AND DO IT ITO HIS CHILDREN OR OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS GOES TO SHOW YOU HOW THE GOVERMENT IS RUN NOW

Wednesday 02 September

By Stacy

Highest Rank

Are you kidding me?? There is a time and place for everything. If the defendant is being unruly and speaking when it isn't the appropiate time and disrupting procedings, I completly agree with the judge. For a fair hearing to occur, people can't just shout the loudest to win their case.

Wednesday 02 September

By cmf

Neutral

Hmmmm. And your profession - would it be defense barrister? Ambulance chaser?

Wednesday 02 September

By tstillkickin

Highest Rank

James............how many times have you been in a courtroom? You don't know anything about law AND ORDER! Maybe you could do a field trip with your kid's class to a courtroom ......you may learn something.

Wednesday 02 September

By rwa325

Highest Rank

Poor James. If he only had a brain.

Wednesday 02 September

By Court Reporter

Highest Rank

James obviously hasn't been in a courtroom lately. People have become quite combative and have no respect for the law, the court, or simple common courtesy and will do whatever it takes to get their way. The judge has to maintain order in his or her courtroom, and if people don't abide by simple rules, the judge has no option other than by taking whatever steps it takes. I suspect the judge had been more than patient with the defendants and finally decided enough is enough. Unless you are there to witness these spectacles, don't jump to conclusions.

Wednesday 02 September

By marty

Highest Rank

I think I would have put them in jail. The fact that they could not obey the judge is telling. It means they probably did not obey the law and stole. Duct tape... However, contempt of court might work. The problem is if they are already in jail, they might not have been fazed. It does appear they have no self control.

Wednesday 02 September

By Tigerlily

Lowest Rank

That judge is an idiot. He's probably been waiting all these years for his chance to duct tape someone. An unruly defendant can be removed and held in contempt, but duct tape? Ridiculous. That judge needs to grow up.

Wednesday 02 September

By Tigerlily

Lowest Rank

That judge is an idiot. He's probably been waiting all these years
for his chance to duct tape someone. An unruly defendant can be
removed and held in contempt, but duct tape? Ridiculous.

Wednesday 02 September

By Bee

Highest Rank

This criminal gave up his right to argue with the court when he committed the crime in the first place. He was just trying to stall the inevitable & should have been removed from the courtroom & his attorney should have spoken for him. When he stole from the store he caused prices to be raised for the rest of us & I'm personally sick to death of these guys costing me money when I shop.

Wednesday 02 September

By cory

Highest Rank

your an idiot, this person was arguing with a judge, yes it was a tad extreme, but the other option was putting the punk in jail. i would of put the little shit in jail

Wednesday 02 September

By cynicalismo

Highest Rank

You have ignored the first rule of argumentation; Make sure that brain is engaged before operating tongue or fingers.

Wednesday 02 September

By militarytown

Highest Rank

OK... what kind of Politically Correct BS is this? The Asylum/AOL article shows a picture of two white teenagers being duct-taped but the actual Ohio newspaper article makes clear that it is a 51 year old black male named Harry Brown. That newspaper even gives a picture of Mr. Brown!

Wednesday 02 September

By Inkling

Highest Rank

It's not the judges or the police that have gotten out of hand. It is the people. Children come from parents who never learned respect. The children in America have no respect for authority whether it is their parents, their teachers, their boss, the police, a neighbor, or a judge. The same people who sit on here and state that this punk was having his rights violated are the same people who sit on here daily and spout venemous lies directed toward our authoritative figures in this nation...The President, the Congress, the Police, the Judges. It is no wonder these children are growing up with no sense of respect.