Criminal
court seems to be the locus of the greatest cultural clashes in our
society. I’ve seen it time and again
when what is expected by the judge and jury runs into what is expected by
defendants, and it goes wrong for the group not in power, the defendant.
 |
| Wrong shirt to wear to court |
An
update New York man wanted to make a statement when he went to court with a
white short-sleeved t-shirt with “Snitches Get Stiches” on the back, and a stop
sign above “Snitching” on the front. The judge was not amused and ordered
Lawrence Ahrens, Jr., a convicted arsonist, to remove the shirt. According to the Times Union, Ahrens looked “incredulous”
that he couldn’t wear what he wanted to court.
He was in court for sentencing for firebombing the home and vehicle of
his former girlfriend’s new boyfriend.
The judge imposed a sentence of 15 years in prison.
The
Times Union reported: Afterward,
Assistant District Attorney John
Healy surmised that the T-shirt may have been Ahrens' way of lashing out at
the judicial system as a "white guy with no criminal history" before
this trying to make a name for himself before being locked up, or the message
may have been directed at his three co-defendants, all of whom are awaiting
sentencing but had agreed to testify against Ahrens as part of their plea
deals. They are Amy
Brzoza, 32; her 33-year-old boyfriend, Michael
Chambers; and Michael
Garry, 31.
I’m
reminded of the time I was part of a juvenile defense clinic in law school and
had a client who showed up for a status conference in a t-shrit with two
pistols on the front and words that said, “All Haters Must Die.” I made him take it off, but not before the
bailiff saw it and told the judge about it. It didn’t go well. I’d told the kid
to wear a shirt and tie. And the time I was in the Jefferson County, Texas
courthouse for a hearing on a civil case and walked by a criminal court and was
asked by a criminal law attorney to talk some sense into his client. Maybe because
I shave my head and have a goatee and was wearing a nice suit, he thought his
client would listen to me. The kid tried
to explain to me and his lawyer that his throwback jersey cost more than his
lawyer’s suit. I told the kid that the
judge wouldn’t care and really didn’t want to hear that. All the kid could say
was “It’s my best throwback.” I told
him, “A twenty dollar collared shirt from Target and ten dollar tie will make
the judge like you much more than any throwback. It’s a uniform for court. You’ve got to wear
it, like you wear a jersey when you play basketball, not a suit and tie.” The kid maybe understood. Maybe he didn’t.
Clearly,
Ahrens didn’t understand. Maybe he didn’t care. Whatever extra time he got for
the stupid “Snitching” shirt will give him to contemplate it. I doubt he’ll understand.
Story
and photo credit: Timesunion.com. http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/A-change-of-clothing-and-then-prison-4884888.php#photo-5305018
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