The judge generally can't be prosecuted. He enjoys judicial absolute immunity. Judicial immunity precludes prosecuting judges for their actions in court even if they are maliciously criminal. This isn't to protect corrupt judges; it is to protect the public. The public has a right to go into court knowing that the judges cannot be intimidated with threats of prosecution unless they make "the right" decisions, i.e. judges are made offers they can't refuse. We have other ways of dealing with bad judges which include removal from the bench, motions to disqualify and disbarment. The issue with these solutions is that they are rarely enforced. Right now that is a significant problem that is eroding public confidence in the judiciary (as evidenced by your honest response here). Unless checked it could lead to a loss in part or whole of judicial absolute immunity. That would not be a good outcome but it is a predictable outcome nonetheless. There are circumstances where judicial immunity does not apply. It does not apply, for example, to federal cases of violation of civil rights under color of law (18 USC 242, 42 USC 1983). The laws were enacted to include all government officials from all three branches and hold them criminally and civilly liable for deprivation of civil rights. The laws were originally enacted during Reconstruction to combat the KKK shortly after the Civil War. This case doesn't involve deprivation of civil rights. That being said, the entire Georgia court system is now under close scrutiny. Are recent events in Georgia courts, including this case, all too frequent or has the notoriety of Georgia v. Trump caused people to seek out and find the rare...hmmm..."glitches" in the system that are the exception and not the rule? Time will tell. But it is not a good look for Georgia.
I’m sure this raises reasonable doubt that both the judge and prosecutors. What the real relationship between the judge and prosecutor? Maybe a case sexual in nature, friendship, or partial family connection.
If he is "disbarred and banned from practicing law" he obviously cannot "[discuss] it in a professional capacity". There is no need to censor his speech at all.
It's cute that you think this is the first time this thug in a robe ever did this. And that you think he should get off with a "naughty-naughty, now go retire…"
My question is how did this guy get to become a judge to begin with? I saw part of the argument between the judge and the defense lawyer, and the lawyer brought up 10's of times the code this violated and the judge's only concern was how the lawyer found out! How does someone with this type of demeanor get to be a judge?
You can see in their original video that even the Courtroom Stenographer (that records proceedings in the courtroom) didn't record what the judge was doing. So there needs to be investigation if the court recorder was protecting the judge by not recording evidence from other past cases.
This is modern justice system, I guess. Whatever a cop says to you, expect the exact opposite. “Im like super cool cop” means he is anything but, look him the wrong way and get a ticket, “Im all about the constitution/civil rights”, he despises them and is about break as many as possible, “Im here to help you”, he is looking to mess you up, get handsy if opportunity strikes or “Im pretty thick-skinned” means his ego is extra frail and you’re about to get it. We are playing opposite day now. I just wasn’t aware it has seeped into courtroom also.
With immunized testimony, recusal and continuing is best. Or drop the case. RICO in situations like this is almost always a hissy fit by the prosecution because the defendants would not roll on other charges. And is crap.
In case anyone is wondering, this is how judges and prosecutors work together in order wrongly convict people. I assure you, this is not the first time this judge was caught doing ex parte. And another example of why a private attorney is much better than a public defender. A PD would never have hired private investigators and even be put in a position to be jailed by the court.
@@billyyank5807 well, prison time is for someone that was convicted of an imprisonable offense, after being indicted by a grand jury. The OP seems to want to just toss all of that out and go for summary execution.
Needs to be removed from the bench completely. They've shown they believe the rules and laws don't apply to them. How many other cases have they done this or similar items on? Nah they've shown they are corrupt and don't believe they are subject to punishment. A little dictator in their own corrupt fiefdom.
The court needs to be sued for violating the defense as attorneys Constitutional Rights, false arrest and unlawful detainment. The judge did it to retaliate . The judge needs to be gone. How many other cases has he done this and gotten away with it. He has lost all credability
What gets me is the lawyer's partner for the case literally said you charging him with contempt send me to jail too since I had this information as well and judge blew it off I'm assuming because the other lawyer was black and the one in contempt was white(judge is black). Nate the lawyer has actual video clips from that on his channel
I strongly urge everyone to listen to season 3 of the Serial podcast. It will prove your statement is 100% correct; the US “Justice” system is set up to secure wins for prosecutors.
The bigger deal are the Judge's actions after exposure. Getting caught, admitting to it, and fessing up is one thing, but what this Judge did is completely unacceptable and deserves harsh punishment.
The real question is as follows: How many other times has this judge had ex-parte meetings like this. He has zero integrity now and really should be removed from practicing law. In addition, the state prosecutor should be brought up on ethics and sent to the review board as well. How many times has the Fulton County DA and Chief Judge done this? Not good at all.
This is the same judge who throughout this case has continually delayed proceedings for extremely abnormal length of time. The defendant on trial is actually currently in his second year in jail having not been tried for a crime yet this judge went jury interviews go on for nine months, it’s completely absurd. He’s stormed out of the courtroom several times during this case for being pissed off. Well, this judge will probably not receive any official sanction because of his actions. I suspect he will be censured and most likely his career path is completely over.
Tactics to delay a case financially PUNISH the defendant who has to keep paying the per diem costs of expensive lawyers. If the lawyer isn't based in that city, they may charge per diem travel fees, hotel costs, transportation, and meals for themselves and their staff and dependants. If the defendant RUNS OUT OF MONEY, he may lose the lawyer and be forced to switch to a public defender. Many public defenders will research and strongly defend their defendant, but some defenders have a lukewarm defense since they do little more than advise the defendant on what is needed to appear in court and to fill out the paperwork correctly. In this way, a judge can ALSO allow a prosecutor to use delaying tactics in hopes of exhausting the defendant's resources or even make subpoenaed witnesses "give up" as they come, wait around, and then get told there is a delay to a new date.
This is a reflection of the current trend of judges seeing themselves as petty dictators. It also reflects the alarming trend of attacking whistleblowers. It's pervasive not only in government, but corporations... like Boeing. How many times in the past 8 years have we seen a crime exposed and the reaction is the criminal launching a personal attack on the accuser or a massive hunt to reveal sources? It really speaks to the general loss of conscience and ethics in this country.
You only have to look at Julian Lasange who was just a whistlblower telling the truth but he spent all them years and had to plead guilty to some bs spying type charge.....
I don’t find the judges to be dictators or whatever. As a result of unbridled vicious lawfare. Their ruling was sensible and puts an end to that. I find the vitriol and calls for harm to them - those ppl are unhappy they didn’t get their crooked way. And it’s dangerous and sick. BTW, I was a Democrat till now
Yep. We have both judicial misconduct and prosecutorial misconduct both. I have a suspicion this case isn't going to survive appeal, the only question is if it is dismissed or not.
This judge should be removed from his profession and never be allowed to work for the people again in any capacity. Any person who is supposed to uphold the law but breaks the law instead is disgusting and should not be allowed.
@@pucmahone3893 considering BEFORE this contempt he was pulling witness intimidation in the middle of the court room of witness will testify or you're going to jail since you broke your plea deal THEN during recess took said witness behind closed doors without the defense?
For every time you catch a Judge doing something wrong, how many times did they get away with other things? Judges have too much power to ignore corrupt behavior.
@@guyray1504 If that's true, why did the defense not know about the meeting and have to find out through an undisclosed third party? Why did the defense have to bring it up DURING a hearing, and why was the judge concerned about how he knew? Why would the judge attempt to hold him in contempt for not disclosing who told him about the meeting? IF the court reporter was present but the information about the meeting was not given to the defense, then all of the same issues exist regardless. The judge wouldn't be worried at all about how he knew because he was supposed to know and was entitled to know.
First, it's one judge, not multiple judges. Second, it's a state court matter and hence, "citizens of the USA" is irrelevant, it's "citizens of Georgia". So, we'll let things play out, as the state supreme court has been informed and found sufficiently for the defense counsel to release him pending trial and that will quite annoy those jurists, as appearances of impropriety smears their bench as much as the offending jurist's bench is smeared. I wise old police sergeant was issuing police badges and credentials at the police academy graduation. Before he did, he advised all of the rookies, "Whenever you do something wrong, you not only smear your own badge with shit, you dip mine into shit as well. Please don't dip my badge in shit".
Jusge should be disbarred.l! This will not only go to appeal if they lose, but it will be thrown out and declared a mistrial costing the taxpayers millions!
My GF is an Attorney and because I went to School and worked in Atlanta for almost 15 years I am still observing news from my home state. I was with some fellow Attorneys recently and we discussed this. To be clear ALL Judges in all the States and the Federal bench are on their honor when it comes to ex parte communications. In fact, several chuckled and said sometimes a Judge gets ambushed and they recuse themselves. There will in fact be a mistrial, it may be a higher court that orders it. This Judge is hopelessly tainted and most likely won't be a Judge much longer! Edited to add another point. If I were a betting man based on several conversations I have had with Attorneys this Defense Attorney already knew the DA was crooked and had an observer watching the door to the Judges Chambers. Before Covid pushed so much onto Zoom my GF's Law Firm used to have paralegals watching Judges and the Commonwealth's Attorneys during high-profile cases. Most likely this Attorney knew about the ex parte communications simply because he was DOING HIS JOB and doing his due diligence!
Have you seen the videos of this judge and prosecutor exchanging hand signals, similar to a team manager and 3rd base coach? I took it to look a bit fishy and suspicious myself.
I have seen cases where a judge refuses to enter an elevator because a lawyer in it has a case before them, just to ensure that there is not even the Appearance that they had a conversation in private, which is the Right move to make because even 30 seconds alone in an elevator Could be enough to discuss something relevant to the case.
Either that or the witness that spoke before the judge and prosecutor made sure that the defense attorney found out about it to get his thug buddy a mistrial. Just speculation. But I am also picturing the defense attorney as the southern chicken lawyer from Futurama. Or maybe its Family Guy. I watch too many cartoons. Or not enough cartoons.
I was involved in a case, in Ohio, where the judge had to phone my attorney from the bench due to a miscommunication by the clerk, but prior to phoning the judge DID have substantive discussions about the case with opposing counsel. The judge knew my attorney wasn't there, but he didn't know I was there, because I was mistakenly seated in the gallery by the bailiff. I heard them discussing the case without me and had to interject when I heard the opposing attorney telling lies about me and my situation to the judge. I haven't looked at the local rules here, but that kind of shit happens all the time in family court in my area.
Family court isn't bound by the same judicial rules. You are basically in a kangaroo court and you hope that the judge doesn't decide to ruin your life because he can.
@jeraldbottcher1588 - Absolute immunity can be removed when the judge acts in a capacity other than a judicial role. This judge made himself a witness to the trial by having the ex parte communication, and at that point he lost absolute immunity.
This judge keeps digging himself into a deeper hole, and he doesn't understand that certain civil and criminal laws are different. He's tripling down on a war he's going to lose in a bad way.
His ignorance on contempt was pathetic. But thinking he would get away with that - it didn't come out of nowhere. Streaming trials is very, very new. Through 2019, the only cameras were for security, and their content was ignored.
Yup. He was basically contempt is contempt, and had to be badgered into deciding which contempt, and then had to be informed that the contempt he was gonna charge doesn't allow him to do what he wants.
@@drewschumann1 - This judge made himself a witness through holding ex parte communication, and that is why he will likely face consequences - including a civil suit from Steele. Immunity is taken away sometimes: Appeals Court Unanimously Denied Judicial Immunity to West Virginia Judge Who Personally Searched Home, Ordered Items Removed.
Might not need impeachment, impeachment is for those appointed with consent and advice of the legislature. Those elected to the bench or via simple appointment both have no lifetime appointment and can be removed by the courts directly.
At the height of a trial, the prosecuting attorney attacked a witness. “Isn't it true that you accepted $5000 to compromise this case?” The witness stared out the window, as though he hadn't hear the question. The prosecutor repeated the question. The witness still did not respond. Finally, the judge leaned over and said, “Sir, please answer the question.” “Oh,” the startled witness said, “I thought he was talking to you.”
You don't know what corrupt is. Would you even think about bribing a judge in the US? Probably not. That isn't true for about 90% of the world where bribing officials is a matter of course and if you don't have money then you are screwed.
@@Oldspartan65 people like to say things to that effect but its actually not true. They have rules they have to follow too. Maybe if you watched the video you would know that. Steve said that in plain English right at the start. Judges aren't all powerful. And they need to be held to a higher standard to hold an important job like that. The term "your honor" should mean something after all.
It starts at the top. Six members of the SCOTUS care zip spit for the law and continually prove it with idiotic unconstitutional rulings. Just because they can.
I would like to offer up the fact that not only would NOT give up his source, but he offered to go to the same jail as his client so he could continue to work on the case! I don't care who the defendant was or what the charges were...that lawyer is a hero😊
@@RabbiJesus At no time did he deny the meeting actually happened. In fact his language clearly exposed that it had. He needs to be immediately removed from the bench, brought up in front of the BAR, and if found guilty of having this meeting, disbarred and brought up on criminal charges.
@@barryc9115 did you read the transcripts yourself? If not, you don’t know and you’re just inferring second hand information. I kind of expect better from the Lehto crowd.
@@RabbiJesusI forget the judge's exact words, but he has said things to the effect of "I am concerned that you found out about the meeting," "you should have never known about the meeting," and he put _into writing_ in a court document that the meeting happened. As others have said, you are presuming that the OP made their comment purely on the basis of the contents of this video, which I strongly doubt.
thats what happens when judges face zero consequences. At worst they get removed. But its incredibly rare and difficult. it should be the exact opposite. Public servants should be held to higher standards, not lower
I went through this same issue with Military officers who thought Army Regulations were "guidelines" and not law. After 26 years of explaining to my officers that they are laws and showing them the front page of every Army Regulation that defines the terms of "should, shall, may and will" it really made them rethink how the interpreted regulations. That is why we have NCO's to guide our officers to the right thing and check their ego and question their assumed authority.
@@hawkuser604 the problem is that should and may make things appear to be subjective to the officer in charge and that dilutes the authority of shall and will and basically, turns things into a legal clusterfuck from hell. Enough times, similar conversations ended with, "But, you do as you please, Sir, it ain't my OER that'll be getting fucked up". That put the officer's speed brakes on.
@@robertsaget9697 If it is too common and easy then you will have nobody wanting to take the job or the position will become far more corrupt to protect the people from being tossed so easily. You think you can just come up with a nonsense idea and assume that it is going to work exactly like you feel it will. There are unintended consequences that you should be thinking of and you clearly don't think much at all.
I watched the whole exchange between the judge and lawyer. Stunning. Some judges start dipping into their own supply. The man had a business as usual demeanor that made me think of how many other people have been subject to serious corruption.
That judge needs to be removed from the bench immediately. This smacks of judicial bias, and if there's one thing a judge MUST be is impartial (it's why they aren't typically allowed to vote). It doesn't matter what reason the judge has - he/she must follow the rules.
@@HighHolyOne I was unaware of the fact that Georgia counties swear an oath of poverty. Guess they don't collect taxes either, right? Nobody with influence can ever get to anyone there, as they're all hermits that live inside of a minefield, right?
This is outrageous. Not only because the judge appears to be committing a criminal offence, but also because it means that a possible criminal is going to get a mistrial. The judge should face a review with the possibility of removal and criminal charges.
When I was on a jury, we were told *NO ONE* was allowed to talk about the case. I would have been breaking the law if I had talked about the case, at least not before we had a verdict. A friend of mine was on a jury and she started telling me something about the case. I said, "Stop, Do not talk to me about the case." She said, "Why not. You won't tell anyone." That's true, but if she spoke to me about the case, it might color her verdict. To me the law is in place for a good reason. Breaking it isn't about getting caught, it's about the legal and ethical issues here.
Well, it’s to be expected when they are swearing the oath with their hand placed on a folded pride flag or stack of local menus instead of a bible. They are not serious people serving their community.
The judge needs to have every single case he has ever presided over examined. If he's pulling this against a guy worth millions there's no telling what bullshit he's against people with a fraction of that money.
What surprises me the most is that "Who told You?" is the classic way to admit guilt. The judge should have heard that a million times already. If stupidity would ring bells nobody in the court would have been able to hear themselves speaking after that question.
That judge just ensured that any conviction will be overturned on appeal due to judicial and prosecutorial misconduct. All parties to the meeting should be held accountable up to and including disbarrment/impeachment and criminal charges.
Not all parties. I doubt the witness had a choice, their attorney has to worry about said witness' interests, and someone told defense council (the witness' attorney is the best guess I have, but afaik we don't know for certain who did).
Ashley Merchant (attorney asking to remove Fani Willis from the Trump election case) is heling the defense attorney and she told the very judge exactly this in a hearing about the contempt charge.
My jaw dropped when i saw the video. Having no background on the case or the judge made it look absolutely insane. The defendant's rights were ibviously violated and it will be an appeal, however, the ciurts have a very strong and profound buddy system in place.
Some context that may help: Judge was a one star general, from Army JAG, and was the head of the Army Court of Appeals. Suddenly his “holier than thou, my word is the word of god, I make the rules and law as I go” approach makes a lot more sense lol. RIP any soldier that got their lives or careers ruined by this man
The judge had 100s of legal experts advising him on the law. He thought he was one of the specials. He believed he was specisl. That the law, the rules, and tradition didn't apply to him. Now he gets to be reminded. We the people deserve better.
I wonder HOW MANY judges do this and don't get exposed, A lot of judges are Confused and think they are the prosecutor or police. Ruling should go as MISTRIAL...
It was really fun seeing the Georgia defense attorney strike force showing up within an hour or so to provide representation and support for the defense attorneys. Young Thugs defense team and the team of 25 lawyers headed up by Ashleigh Merchant have been a bright spot in this mess.
One time I went to traffic court to fight a ticket. The judge gave me a favorable ruling. No points and $15 to the charity of the cops choice. Of course I was speeding. There's a steep hill on a highway in Colorado where the cops sit around the bend at the bottom and nail speeders. The judge new it because he sees speeding tickets from that stretch of road every day. I remember the cop mumbling something about how it was a waste of his time to come in to court. After court I stopped at a gas station to get gas and who should pull up to the other side of the pump, the judge. I just smiled at him and he smiled back.
That trial is so worth following (Melanie King does efficient coverage). It's videotaped and the main witness to lead to this--Woody--is a secret genius ✌🏼
I already knew about the main facts, but I really liked that you quoted the canon of ethics and shared anecdotes about how the attorney could have learned about the meeting. Thank you!
Someone is fed up with this judge's behavior and is watching him. He wants to know who it is. I saw the video but never looked for the story so I didn't know what it was all about. Thanks for clarifying.
Whoever reported the judge deserves the seat on the bench more than this egotistical tyrant who should be no more near judiciary power than criminals. Corruption must be removed from the judiciary.
That Georgia County is so corrupt. Threatening the witness (by the judge in an ex-parte meeting) with jail time if he doesn't give statements that are lies in favor of the prosecutor.
I took plea deal and my judge lied about not being able to ever take it back. The judge beat his wife after he sentenced me. He did 8 months prision time. A year before i got out he killed his x-wife in front of their kids. Hes doing 30 years to life in prision. The judges name name is Lance T Mason. He worked in cuyahoga county. They only went checked over jury trails if he did illeagal stuff. They didn't check all his cases.
So, the defense attorney is still in prison? Nobody did anything about it, so there won't be a trial that Steve talked about, right? Or do you mean that nobody showed up with a militia and machine gunned everyone concerned down? Here's a life lesson for you. You can do things a fast and easy way and they'll fall apart every time or one can do things the right way, which takes time and effort and those things will be lasting. And things with courts take time. First, the trial of the accused has to be completed, then the defense attorney has to have his trial, then if acquitted in the latter, the misbehavior of the jurist then is reported up to the superior courts as appropriate for disciplinary action. No magical thunder from above, no Harry Potter waving his fuck stick, but a step by step legal process that is properly followed at every step, in deliberate and sober actions. Otherwise, we don't have the rule of law, we have the lawlessness of the mob.
Actually, the attorney immediately filed a motion for the judge to be recused from the trial. The judge assigned the motion to himself (which isn't actually allowed) and denied it. Then the attorney filed a motion to the GA Supreme Court for the judge to be removed, citing that he didn't feel it would get a fair hearing from a lower court given what happened with the motion to recuse. The GA Supreme Court responded denying the motion, stating that the attorney had to file the motion with the Superior Court first, *and that if filed with the Superior Court, the trial judge would be disqualified from acting on it,* citing the rules of court procedure that would so disqualify the judge. The attorney has since filed the motion with the Superior Court, citing the parts of the GA Supreme Court's response saying that the trial judge must be disqualified from acting in any way on the motion.
I was waiting for your analysis on this one, and you didn’t disappoint! Such a spicy story! This attorney just secured an endless list of future clients with this one trick judges don’t want you to know!
I watched the courtroom video. After Steel was taken into custody, Steel's co-council told the judge he wouldn't divulge the source either. Judge replied he hadn't asked the second attorney. THE TRIAL PROCEEDED WITH STEEL IN CUSTODY. That is some Soviet-style action going on there. Arrest the "obstructing" attorney, continue the trial.
I saw the video of the lawyer taking off his tie and the stuff he was wearing and what was in his pocket. I thought the lawyer spent the weekend in jail.
@@billrehm3590 Steel was taken into custody on contempt charges and removed from the courtroom. It is always smart to leave valuables behind when being taken into custody if given the opportunity, which is what Steel did. It wasn't until later in the day that the judge sentenced Steel to 10 weekends / 20 days in jail. At this point Steel didn't know what to expect in the immediate term. Keith Adams (Steel's co-counsel who also told the judge he wouldn't snitch either) refused to proceed without Steel present. The DA asked that Steel be returned to the courtroom and the judge agreed so that the "trial" could proceed. (I say "trial" because the Rules of Criminal Procedure are quite clear on ex parte communication. The motion for a mistrial should have been granted, and Steel made sure his points were on the record (that goes to the appellate court) before being taken into custody. For all practical purposes, the trial ended right there.) One of the higher courts intervened before Steel served any of the 20 days / 10 weekends sentence imposed by the judge. My recollection is Steel was held in custody for around an hour or so outside of the courtroom. I can't wait to read the appeal for this case. Nothing that happens going forward will matter unless the defense is happy with the result.
I think the judge and the prosecutor should both be disbarred and JAILED for witness tampering and suborning perjury.
Yes you're right hopefully the state prosecutor is not involved ! 12:16
But suborning perjury may be a stretch....
There is no contingency plan for this
@@charlescanzaterthey were involved. It was Fani Willis’s office which is no great surprise. Flapping Fanny thinks the rules don’t apply to her.
The judge generally can't be prosecuted. He enjoys judicial absolute immunity. Judicial immunity precludes prosecuting judges for their actions in court even if they are maliciously criminal. This isn't to protect corrupt judges; it is to protect the public. The public has a right to go into court knowing that the judges cannot be intimidated with threats of prosecution unless they make "the right" decisions, i.e. judges are made offers they can't refuse.
We have other ways of dealing with bad judges which include removal from the bench, motions to disqualify and disbarment. The issue with these solutions is that they are rarely enforced. Right now that is a significant problem that is eroding public confidence in the judiciary (as evidenced by your honest response here). Unless checked it could lead to a loss in part or whole of judicial absolute immunity. That would not be a good outcome but it is a predictable outcome nonetheless.
There are circumstances where judicial immunity does not apply. It does not apply, for example, to federal cases of violation of civil rights under color of law (18 USC 242, 42 USC 1983). The laws were enacted to include all government officials from all three branches and hold them criminally and civilly liable for deprivation of civil rights. The laws were originally enacted during Reconstruction to combat the KKK shortly after the Civil War. This case doesn't involve deprivation of civil rights.
That being said, the entire Georgia court system is now under close scrutiny. Are recent events in Georgia courts, including this case, all too frequent or has the notoriety of Georgia v. Trump caused people to seek out and find the rare...hmmm..."glitches" in the system that are the exception and not the rule? Time will tell. But it is not a good look for Georgia.
Every case this judge has touched should be investigated.
I’m sure this raises reasonable doubt that both the judge and prosecutors.
What the real relationship between the judge and prosecutor? Maybe a case sexual in nature, friendship, or partial family connection.
Maybe they’ll send you all the court records for those cases and you can investigate, since you appear to be motivated.
I TOTALLY AGREE !
@@mencken8 That's the job of the defendants lawyers.
yes does cast serious doubts on his impartiality
That judge should be disbarred and banned from practicing law, or discussing it in a professional capacity. Obviously excluding normal free speech.
Absolutely agree.
Thank you for the sensibility.
It's an anomaly these days.
If he is "disbarred and banned from practicing law" he obviously cannot "[discuss] it in a professional capacity". There is no need to censor his speech at all.
It's cute that you think this is the first time this thug in a robe ever did this. And that you think he should get off with a "naughty-naughty, now go retire…"
@@Kulanae I think he means as a paid consultant.
Edit: grammar.
My question is how did this guy get to become a judge to begin with? I saw part of the argument between the judge and the defense lawyer, and the lawyer brought up 10's of times the code this violated and the judge's only concern was how the lawyer found out! How does someone with this type of demeanor get to be a judge?
Witness tampering is a felony, this judge should be prosecuted as such.
We have a growing Authoritarian problem in the world.
We always have. We have to always fight against cluster b "leaders" because they keep coming back like wasps at a lovely picnic.
"I will prove I am not corrupt by doing something extremely corrupt."
I don't understand this logic.
They're not trying to disprove their corruption, they're just protecting the prosecutor and trying to cover their own ass.
You can see in their original video that even the Courtroom Stenographer (that records proceedings in the courtroom) didn't record what the judge was doing. So there needs to be investigation if the court recorder was protecting the judge by not recording evidence from other past cases.
@@animejanai4657 exactly, if it was done without a specific request then it is something done often enough that they knew to do it.
Logic is unrelated. If it works, it works.
This is modern justice system, I guess. Whatever a cop says to you, expect the exact opposite. “Im like super cool cop” means he is anything but, look him the wrong way and get a ticket, “Im all about the constitution/civil rights”, he despises them and is about break as many as possible, “Im here to help you”, he is looking to mess you up, get handsy if opportunity strikes or “Im pretty thick-skinned” means his ego is extra frail and you’re about to get it. We are playing opposite day now. I just wasn’t aware it has seeped into courtroom also.
What? A judge acting improperly in Georgia? NFW. 😂
W lol
I giggled.😊
Fulton County 😂
I'm shocked 😂
Same judge
1) Motion for mistrial. 2) Motion to recuse. 3) Report to state judicial ethics commission.
1 and 2 have been done
#1 and #2 have already happened.
This isn't just an ethical matter. This is criminal. The police should already be involved if they weren't corrupt too
3 has likely happened as well
With immunized testimony, recusal and continuing is best. Or drop the case.
RICO in situations like this is almost always a hissy fit by the prosecution because the defendants would not roll on other charges. And is crap.
Lawyer is a fucking amazing person. Not giving up the person and asking to spend his time in jail with his client. Worth every penny.
And his hourly rate went way up.
Best advertising he could ever give his firm.
In case anyone is wondering, this is how judges and prosecutors work together in order wrongly convict people. I assure you, this is not the first time this judge was caught doing ex parte. And another example of why a private attorney is much better than a public defender. A PD would never have hired private investigators and even be put in a position to be jailed by the court.
The Judge & Prosecutor are seeking a conviction rather than justice given the court’s findings.
Well yeah... thats their job...
@@PeenWienerstien no their job is to get justice, this is lying and underhanded to convict what could be an innocent man. Pure corruption
@@PeenWienerstien "rather than justice" For the prosecutor, sadly you are correct. For the judge, that is 100% wrong.
@@PeenWienerstien The judge's job is to be impartial, actually...
@@PeenWienerstienI see things like this and can't help but feel our education system is failing us.
Judge needs prison time no parole.
Parole is for after serving prison time😂
@@billyyank5807 well, prison time is for someone that was convicted of an imprisonable offense, after being indicted by a grand jury. The OP seems to want to just toss all of that out and go for summary execution.
What if the Judge drops the soap?
The judge should be removed from this case, 1 improperly 1 sided communication. 2 bias against the attorney that he found in contempt.
💯
The judge should be sanctioned and investigated for corruption.
Needs to be removed from the bench completely. They've shown they believe the rules and laws don't apply to them. How many other cases have they done this or similar items on? Nah they've shown they are corrupt and don't believe they are subject to punishment. A little dictator in their own corrupt fiefdom.
The court needs to be sued for violating the defense as attorneys Constitutional Rights, false arrest and unlawful detainment. The judge did it to retaliate . The judge needs to be gone. How many other cases has he done this and gotten away with it. He has lost all credability
What gets me is the lawyer's partner for the case literally said you charging him with contempt send me to jail too since I had this information as well and judge blew it off I'm assuming because the other lawyer was black and the one in contempt was white(judge is black). Nate the lawyer has actual video clips from that on his channel
End judicial immunity. Enough with corrupt public officials.
This demonstrates my position that the legal system in the US is about winning and not justice or the law.
Bingo…
I strongly urge everyone to listen to season 3 of the Serial podcast. It will prove your statement is 100% correct; the US “Justice” system is set up to secure wins for prosecutors.
The bigger deal are the Judge's actions after exposure. Getting caught, admitting to it, and fessing up is one thing, but what this Judge did is completely unacceptable and deserves harsh punishment.
"Eat crow while it is young and tender, or you will surely eat it when it is old and ripe." - Leonard French
The problem is that with separation of the branches of government , it is hard to displine judges or remove them. This guy was an elected judge.
Disbar him and revoke his pension for willful civil rights violations
The judge is now a witness. He can't continue to be the judge. 😮
Absolutely immunity for judges need to be abolished.
The real question is as follows: How many other times has this judge had ex-parte meetings like this. He has zero integrity now and really should be removed from practicing law. In addition, the state prosecutor should be brought up on ethics and sent to the review board as well. How many times has the Fulton County DA and Chief Judge done this? Not good at all.
This is the same judge who throughout this case has continually delayed proceedings for extremely abnormal length of time. The defendant on trial is actually currently in his second year in jail having not been tried for a crime yet this judge went jury interviews go on for nine months, it’s completely absurd. He’s stormed out of the courtroom several times during this case for being pissed off. Well, this judge will probably not receive any official sanction because of his actions. I suspect he will be censured and most likely his career path is completely over.
longest case in Georgia history
Tactics to delay a case financially PUNISH the defendant who has to keep paying the per diem costs of expensive lawyers. If the lawyer isn't based in that city, they may charge per diem travel fees, hotel costs, transportation, and meals for themselves and their staff and dependants. If the defendant RUNS OUT OF MONEY, he may lose the lawyer and be forced to switch to a public defender. Many public defenders will research and strongly defend their defendant, but some defenders have a lukewarm defense since they do little more than advise the defendant on what is needed to appear in court and to fill out the paperwork correctly. In this way, a judge can ALSO allow a prosecutor to use delaying tactics in hopes of exhausting the defendant's resources or even make subpoenaed witnesses "give up" as they come, wait around, and then get told there is a delay to a new date.
Here I thought we have a right to a speedy trial.
unless the legal reviewers are outside the state of Georgia nothing will happen.
This is a reflection of the current trend of judges seeing themselves as petty dictators.
It also reflects the alarming trend of attacking whistleblowers. It's pervasive not only in government, but corporations... like Boeing.
How many times in the past 8 years have we seen a crime exposed and the reaction is the criminal launching a personal attack on the accuser or a massive hunt to reveal sources?
It really speaks to the general loss of conscience and ethics in this country.
On the money!!!
You only have to look at Julian Lasange who was just a whistlblower telling the truth but he spent all them years and had to plead guilty to some bs spying type charge.....
Generally, discrediting the whistle blower is a logical move; and just as corrupt and unwise as the original act that they were trying hide.
You had me at Boeing... but as far as ethics? I just think the internet and cameras have made the extant corruption more visible.
I don’t find the judges to be dictators or whatever. As a result of unbridled vicious lawfare. Their ruling was sensible and puts an end to that. I find the vitriol and calls for harm to them - those ppl are unhappy they didn’t get their crooked way. And it’s dangerous and sick. BTW, I was a Democrat till now
If the defence attorney found out through a court employee and is prepared to go to jail to protect them from retaliation, he's double the hero. ❤
That attorney is a true G.
He should have taken a dollar retainer, so that he could tell the court he found out "in privileged communication with another client."
If the Prosecutor was not the source, they should be sanctioned for allowing the conversation.
It was the attorney for the witness.
@@banditoheatAllegedly. That's who the judge believes it was.
@@danielboone8435NOT ALLEGEDLY. STEELE SAID "SHE" IN COURT SO THAT'S WHY THE JUDGE SAID HE HAD A PRETTY GOOD IDEA ON WHO TOLD.
@@cdaway2024No need to shout.
Yep. We have both judicial misconduct and prosecutorial misconduct both. I have a suspicion this case isn't going to survive appeal, the only question is if it is dismissed or not.
This judge should be removed from his profession and never be allowed to work for the people again in any capacity. Any person who is supposed to uphold the law but breaks the law instead is disgusting and should not be allowed.
He’s an elected judge lol . Good luck getting him removed .
The video of this happening in the courtroom went viral. That judge was MAD that he got caught!
That judge is/was so out of order. And there is even more crap going on.
He’s out of control.
I believe this case runs deeper than we think
@@pucmahone3893 considering BEFORE this contempt he was pulling witness intimidation in the middle of the court room of witness will testify or you're going to jail since you broke your plea deal THEN during recess took said witness behind closed doors without the defense?
For every time you catch a Judge doing something wrong, how many times did they get away with other things? Judges have too much power to ignore corrupt behavior.
Steve the judge had the court reporter in the meeting also.
@@guyray1504 If that's true, why did the defense not know about the meeting and have to find out through an undisclosed third party? Why did the defense have to bring it up DURING a hearing, and why was the judge concerned about how he knew? Why would the judge attempt to hold him in contempt for not disclosing who told him about the meeting? IF the court reporter was present but the information about the meeting was not given to the defense, then all of the same issues exist regardless. The judge wouldn't be worried at all about how he knew because he was supposed to know and was entitled to know.
These Judges need to be held accountable for their crimes against the citizens of the USA
First, it's one judge, not multiple judges. Second, it's a state court matter and hence, "citizens of the USA" is irrelevant, it's "citizens of Georgia".
So, we'll let things play out, as the state supreme court has been informed and found sufficiently for the defense counsel to release him pending trial and that will quite annoy those jurists, as appearances of impropriety smears their bench as much as the offending jurist's bench is smeared.
I wise old police sergeant was issuing police badges and credentials at the police academy graduation. Before he did, he advised all of the rookies, "Whenever you do something wrong, you not only smear your own badge with shit, you dip mine into shit as well. Please don't dip my badge in shit".
He'll get a stern warning and nothing more
@@stingcool9455 The judge is red-handed guilty.😂
And they wonder why events such as Jan.6 happens?
@NC_SUGAR whoa! Are you justifying that?
Judge messed with the wrong lawyer.
Jusge should be disbarred.l! This will not only go to appeal if they lose, but it will be thrown out and declared a mistrial costing the taxpayers millions!
"Who told you?" Is a wild response since its an admission of guilt
The The judge doesn’t understand when you’re caught red-handed doubling down it’s not to your benefit
Works for cops.
@@unbreakable7633 they triple down ( Carolina in Fort Worth )
My GF is an Attorney and because I went to School and worked in Atlanta for almost 15 years I am still observing news from my home state. I was with some fellow Attorneys recently and we discussed this. To be clear ALL Judges in all the States and the Federal bench are on their honor when it comes to ex parte communications. In fact, several chuckled and said sometimes a Judge gets ambushed and they recuse themselves. There will in fact be a mistrial, it may be a higher court that orders it. This Judge is hopelessly tainted and most likely won't be a Judge much longer! Edited to add another point. If I were a betting man based on several conversations I have had with Attorneys this Defense Attorney already knew the DA was crooked and had an observer watching the door to the Judges Chambers. Before Covid pushed so much onto Zoom my GF's Law Firm used to have paralegals watching Judges and the Commonwealth's Attorneys during high-profile cases. Most likely this Attorney knew about the ex parte communications simply because he was DOING HIS JOB and doing his due diligence!
Have you seen the videos of this judge and prosecutor exchanging hand signals, similar to a team manager and 3rd base coach?
I took it to look a bit fishy and suspicious myself.
Saving this
The source really doesn't matter. The judge admitted he engaged in an ex parte meeting with the DA and a sworn witness.
I have seen cases where a judge refuses to enter an elevator because a lawyer in it has a case before them, just to ensure that there is not even the Appearance that they had a conversation in private, which is the Right move to make because even 30 seconds alone in an elevator Could be enough to discuss something relevant to the case.
Either that or the witness that spoke before the judge and prosecutor made sure that the defense attorney found out about it to get his thug buddy a mistrial. Just speculation. But I am also picturing the defense attorney as the southern chicken lawyer from Futurama. Or maybe its Family Guy. I watch too many cartoons. Or not enough cartoons.
I was involved in a case, in Ohio, where the judge had to phone my attorney from the bench due to a miscommunication by the clerk, but prior to phoning the judge DID have substantive discussions about the case with opposing counsel. The judge knew my attorney wasn't there, but he didn't know I was there, because I was mistakenly seated in the gallery by the bailiff. I heard them discussing the case without me and had to interject when I heard the opposing attorney telling lies about me and my situation to the judge. I haven't looked at the local rules here, but that kind of shit happens all the time in family court in my area.
Our small town lawyers tried the cases in the coffee shop with opposing counsel before they went to the court house.
Family court isn't bound by the same judicial rules. You are basically in a kangaroo court and you hope that the judge doesn't decide to ruin your life because he can.
The attorney should sue the judge personally for violating his civil rights.
And the judge will claim immunity
@jeraldbottcher1588 - Absolute immunity can be removed when the judge acts in a capacity other than a judicial role. This judge made himself a witness to the trial by having the ex parte communication, and at that point he lost absolute immunity.
Fulton County judicial system need an overhaul!
This judge keeps digging himself into a deeper hole, and he doesn't understand that certain civil and criminal laws are different. He's tripling down on a war he's going to lose in a bad way.
His ignorance on contempt was pathetic. But thinking he would get away with that - it didn't come out of nowhere. Streaming trials is very, very new. Through 2019, the only cameras were for security, and their content was ignored.
Hahahaha! You actually believe judges face consequences for breaking the law. Isn't that sweet.
Yup. He was basically contempt is contempt, and had to be badgered into deciding which contempt, and then had to be informed that the contempt he was gonna charge doesn't allow him to do what he wants.
@@drewschumann1 The public nature of the stream has an effect. I have a hunch things will start to change.
@@drewschumann1 - This judge made himself a witness through holding ex parte communication, and that is why he will likely face consequences - including a civil suit from Steele. Immunity is taken away sometimes: Appeals Court Unanimously Denied Judicial Immunity to West Virginia Judge Who Personally Searched Home, Ordered Items Removed.
Impeach and replace the judge. This trial makes the case for allowing video in all public courtrooms in my opinion.
The only reason for not streaming all government all the time is corruption.
I couldn't agree more!
Might not need impeachment, impeachment is for those appointed with consent and advice of the legislature. Those elected to the bench or via simple appointment both have no lifetime appointment and can be removed by the courts directly.
At the height of a trial, the prosecuting attorney attacked a witness. “Isn't it true that you accepted $5000 to compromise this case?”
The witness stared out the window, as though he hadn't hear the question. The prosecutor repeated the question. The witness still did not respond.
Finally, the judge leaned over and said, “Sir, please answer the question.” “Oh,” the startled witness said, “I thought he was talking to you.”
Saving this
👏👏👍👏👏
😂😂😂 But Seriously people, these judges are destroying our country.
Lol
@@noapologizes2018judges are necessary, but removing bad judges promptly has to happen everytime it occurs
Our legal system is so corrupt.
You don't know what corrupt is. Would you even think about bribing a judge in the US? Probably not. That isn't true for about 90% of the world where bribing officials is a matter of course and if you don't have money then you are screwed.
I've been following this trial, and the most amazing thing is: this isn't even the worst thing the judge has done.
I am sick and tired of socalled "Judges" that treat their courtroom like their own little kingdom where they think they can do anything they want.
It is their kingdom and they can 😊
@@Oldspartan65you seem happy about that for some reason? You trolling?
@@Oldspartan65Ehm no, they are not above the law.
@@Oldspartan65 people like to say things to that effect but its actually not true. They have rules they have to follow too. Maybe if you watched the video you would know that. Steve said that in plain English right at the start. Judges aren't all powerful. And they need to be held to a higher standard to hold an important job like that. The term "your honor" should mean something after all.
It starts at the top. Six members of the SCOTUS care zip spit for the law and continually prove it with idiotic unconstitutional rulings. Just because they can.
Narcissist cannot be wrong, especially when they have POwErrrr!
So true.
Those are the only ones allowed to have power these days.
"UNLIMITED RIGHTNESS" 😂
That judge should be sentenced to 37 years in public lock up.
I would like to offer up the fact that not only would NOT give up his source, but he offered to go to the same jail as his client so he could continue to work on the case!
I don't care who the defendant was or what the charges were...that lawyer is a hero😊
MISTRIAL! The judge needs to be reviewed by the bar and possibly disbarred!
THE JUDGE JUST (ADMITTED) TO BREAKING THE LAW!
Or he wants to discern who is lying about him. Don’t presume.
@@RabbiJesus
At no time did he deny the meeting actually happened. In fact his language clearly exposed that it had. He needs to be immediately removed from the bench, brought up in front of the BAR, and if found guilty of having this meeting, disbarred and brought up on criminal charges.
@@barryc9115 did you read the transcripts yourself? If not, you don’t know and you’re just inferring second hand information. I kind of expect better from the Lehto crowd.
@@RabbiJesusI forget the judge's exact words, but he has said things to the effect of "I am concerned that you found out about the meeting," "you should have never known about the meeting," and he put _into writing_ in a court document that the meeting happened. As others have said, you are presuming that the OP made their comment purely on the basis of the contents of this video, which I strongly doubt.
@@RabbiJesus
I watched the entire video dude….. The judge is guilty AF
Judges, like pirates, consider them more like guidelines, rather than rules.
That’s what I was thinking last week when I was watching this go down
thats what happens when judges face zero consequences. At worst they get removed. But its incredibly rare and difficult.
it should be the exact opposite. Public servants should be held to higher standards, not lower
I went through this same issue with Military officers who thought Army Regulations were "guidelines" and not law. After 26 years of explaining to my officers that they are laws and showing them the front page of every Army Regulation that defines the terms of "should, shall, may and will" it really made them rethink how the interpreted regulations. That is why we have NCO's to guide our officers to the right thing and check their ego and question their assumed authority.
@@hawkuser604 the problem is that should and may make things appear to be subjective to the officer in charge and that dilutes the authority of shall and will and basically, turns things into a legal clusterfuck from hell.
Enough times, similar conversations ended with, "But, you do as you please, Sir, it ain't my OER that'll be getting fucked up". That put the officer's speed brakes on.
@@robertsaget9697 If it is too common and easy then you will have nobody wanting to take the job or the position will become far more corrupt to protect the people from being tossed so easily. You think you can just come up with a nonsense idea and assume that it is going to work exactly like you feel it will. There are unintended consequences that you should be thinking of and you clearly don't think much at all.
The judge should have his license removed and should face some jail time.
I watched the whole exchange between the judge and lawyer. Stunning. Some judges start dipping into their own supply. The man had a business as usual demeanor that made me think of how many other people have been subject to serious corruption.
Looks like there is another judge who thinks they are above the law and needs to be removed and disbarred.
That judge needs to be removed from the bench immediately. This smacks of judicial bias, and if there's one thing a judge MUST be is impartial (it's why they aren't typically allowed to vote). It doesn't matter what reason the judge has - he/she must follow the rules.
Just about every judge thinks they are untouchable. I hope this ignorant judge gets some form of punishment.
His finances need to be investigated.
Good point! Although in this case he's meeting ex parte with the prosecutor, not with the $$ side.
@@HighHolyOne as we can see from Fulton County, that is the $$ side.
@@HighHolyOne I was unaware of the fact that Georgia counties swear an oath of poverty. Guess they don't collect taxes either, right? Nobody with influence can ever get to anyone there, as they're all hermits that live inside of a minefield, right?
@@HighHolyOneThat's also a $$ side, but it also comes with a promotion after Fani Willis gets praised for this and the Trump case.
This is outrageous. Not only because the judge appears to be committing a criminal offence, but also because it means that a possible criminal is going to get a mistrial.
The judge should face a review with the possibility of removal and criminal charges.
When I was on a jury, we were told *NO ONE* was allowed to talk about the case. I would have been breaking the law if I had talked about the case, at least not before we had a verdict.
A friend of mine was on a jury and she started telling me something about the case. I said, "Stop, Do not talk to me about the case."
She said, "Why not. You won't tell anyone."
That's true, but if she spoke to me about the case, it might color her verdict. To me the law is in place for a good reason. Breaking it isn't about getting caught, it's about the legal and ethical issues here.
Be on the lookout for every person this judge ever put in jail to appeal their case.
“And yes, there are rules for judges.” 😂
Telling that this even needs to be said.
Wouldn't happen if an Oath to the Constitution still MEANT something.
Well, it’s to be expected when they are swearing the oath with their hand placed on a folded pride flag or stack of local menus instead of a bible. They are not serious people serving their community.
Corrupt people have never had qualms about swearing false oaths.
@@Slightlysalty1 Bibles are worthless. It's not like gods exist to strike you down for lying.
The judge needs to have every single case he has ever presided over examined. If he's pulling this against a guy worth millions there's no telling what bullshit he's against people with a fraction of that money.
What surprises me the most is that "Who told You?" is the classic way to admit guilt. The judge should have heard that a million times already. If stupidity would ring bells nobody in the court would have been able to hear themselves speaking after that question.
That judge just ensured that any conviction will be overturned on appeal due to judicial and prosecutorial misconduct. All parties to the meeting should be held accountable up to and including disbarrment/impeachment and criminal charges.
Not all parties. I doubt the witness had a choice, their attorney has to worry about said witness' interests, and someone told defense council (the witness' attorney is the best guess I have, but afaik we don't know for certain who did).
This Judge has made himself a witness in this trial and must be removed.
Ashley Merchant (attorney asking to remove Fani Willis from the Trump election case) is heling the defense attorney and she told the very judge exactly this in a hearing about the contempt charge.
The higher court needs to declare a mistrial and start over.
every person he ever jailed needs to be looked into
My jaw dropped when i saw the video. Having no background on the case or the judge made it look absolutely insane.
The defendant's rights were ibviously violated and it will be an appeal, however, the ciurts have a very strong and profound buddy system in place.
Some context that may help: Judge was a one star general, from Army JAG, and was the head of the Army Court of Appeals. Suddenly his “holier than thou, my word is the word of god, I make the rules and law as I go” approach makes a lot more sense lol. RIP any soldier that got their lives or careers ruined by this man
He didn't understand how contempt works... How many people did he hold in contempt improperly
Made me think of Ron DeSantis
Put the judge in jail.
The judge had 100s of legal experts advising him on the law. He thought he was one of the specials. He believed he was specisl. That the law, the rules, and tradition didn't apply to him. Now he gets to be reminded. We the people deserve better.
I wonder HOW MANY judges do this and don't get exposed, A lot of judges are Confused and think they are the prosecutor or police. Ruling should go as MISTRIAL...
That Judge needs to be arrested
And anyone who has bribed him
Abuse of power by a judge should be a capital offence.
Thanks for doing this story. This isn't the first time this judge has been under scrutiny for not having clean hands.
It was really fun seeing the Georgia defense attorney strike force showing up within an hour or so to provide representation and support for the defense attorneys. Young Thugs defense team and the team of 25 lawyers headed up by Ashleigh Merchant have been a bright spot in this mess.
This "judge" sounds like he USED to be, or WANTS to be a cop the way he just makes up his OWN rules on the fly when he gets his feelings hurt...
I’m so glad you picked this up. I have no opinion of this guy but since he’s a “rapper” the system is against him
Georgia is out of control.
Anywhere that Democrats run is out of control.
One time I went to traffic court to fight a ticket. The judge gave me a favorable ruling. No points and $15 to the charity of the cops choice. Of course I was speeding. There's a steep hill on a highway in Colorado where the cops sit around the bend at the bottom and nail speeders. The judge new it because he sees speeding tickets from that stretch of road every day. I remember the cop mumbling something about how it was a waste of his time to come in to court.
After court I stopped at a gas station to get gas and who should pull up to the other side of the pump, the judge. I just smiled at him and he smiled back.
That trial is so worth following (Melanie King does efficient coverage). It's videotaped and the main witness to lead to this--Woody--is a secret genius ✌🏼
Little Woody, what a name.
Little Woody is awesome.
Hes like watching an episode of Seinfeld
It's fake just like every televised trial including OJ
I already knew about the main facts, but I really liked that you quoted the canon of ethics and shared anecdotes about how the attorney could have learned about the meeting. Thank you!
Someone is fed up with this judge's behavior and is watching him. He wants to know who it is. I saw the video but never looked for the story so I didn't know what it was all about. Thanks for clarifying.
THERE YOU GO,... THE LAW SAYS,... THE JUDGE BROKE THE LAW.
Another crooked judge.
IMAGINE THAT !
Shocking news
Yeah, but will anything actually be done about it? I mean, Wilis and Merchan still hold their positions and they're just as bad.
A crooked judge in Georgia , imagine that.
Whoever reported the judge deserves the seat on the bench more than this egotistical tyrant who should be no more near judiciary power than criminals. Corruption must be removed from the judiciary.
even after all this time I like how you break this down so non-law people can understand. PS I still love finding Ben.
That Georgia County is so corrupt. Threatening the witness (by the judge in an ex-parte meeting) with jail time if he doesn't give statements that are lies in favor of the prosecutor.
When you fear integrity and accountability, you are no longer the good guys.
This judge needs to lose his robe and be disbarred
No no... keep the robes, just keep tightening the collar... more and more and more.... until he stops breaking the law 😮😂
Careful there, some judges don't wear pants under their robes!😅
This is the trickle down effect from the Supreme Court.
The Judge should be held in contempt.
This judge needs to be made an example.
There needs to be a higher independent body to deal with corrupt judges
1) Judge commits improper acts during trial.
2) Nobody does anything about it.
Sounds about right to me. American justice system at its finest.
I took plea deal and my judge lied about not being able to ever take it back. The judge beat his wife after he sentenced me. He did 8 months prision time. A year before i got out he killed his x-wife in front of their kids. Hes doing 30 years to life in prision. The judges name name is Lance T Mason. He worked in cuyahoga county. They only went checked over jury trails if he did illeagal stuff. They didn't check all his cases.
So, the defense attorney is still in prison? Nobody did anything about it, so there won't be a trial that Steve talked about, right?
Or do you mean that nobody showed up with a militia and machine gunned everyone concerned down?
Here's a life lesson for you. You can do things a fast and easy way and they'll fall apart every time or one can do things the right way, which takes time and effort and those things will be lasting.
And things with courts take time. First, the trial of the accused has to be completed, then the defense attorney has to have his trial, then if acquitted in the latter, the misbehavior of the jurist then is reported up to the superior courts as appropriate for disciplinary action.
No magical thunder from above, no Harry Potter waving his fuck stick, but a step by step legal process that is properly followed at every step, in deliberate and sober actions.
Otherwise, we don't have the rule of law, we have the lawlessness of the mob.
Actually, the attorney immediately filed a motion for the judge to be recused from the trial. The judge assigned the motion to himself (which isn't actually allowed) and denied it. Then the attorney filed a motion to the GA Supreme Court for the judge to be removed, citing that he didn't feel it would get a fair hearing from a lower court given what happened with the motion to recuse. The GA Supreme Court responded denying the motion, stating that the attorney had to file the motion with the Superior Court first, *and that if filed with the Superior Court, the trial judge would be disqualified from acting on it,* citing the rules of court procedure that would so disqualify the judge. The attorney has since filed the motion with the Superior Court, citing the parts of the GA Supreme Court's response saying that the trial judge must be disqualified from acting in any way on the motion.
@@spvillano Measure twice, cut once.
Just another LIEING judge who got caught.. Making deals with the object side..
I was waiting for your analysis on this one, and you didn’t disappoint!
Such a spicy story!
This attorney just secured an endless list of future clients with this one trick judges don’t want you to know!
I’ve been waiting for your take on this for over a week. Thanks! Judge seems off the rails.
Man between this, and the Judge arrested for BATT LEO, and the Fulton County DA, Georgia's judicial system feels like a kangaroo court.
Feels like?
Well if it hops and talks like a kangaroo, then it must be....
It is a kangaroo court
Ask Trump, he's been kangarooed by a judge in NYC.
The Fulton County DA is doing the job that she was elected to do.
@@Navybyrde Be corrupt, launder tax money through her boyfriend, and interfere with elections? Wasn't aware that was part of her job description.
I watched the courtroom video. After Steel was taken into custody, Steel's co-council told the judge he wouldn't divulge the source either. Judge replied he hadn't asked the second attorney. THE TRIAL PROCEEDED WITH STEEL IN CUSTODY. That is some Soviet-style action going on there. Arrest the "obstructing" attorney, continue the trial.
I saw the video of the lawyer taking off his tie and the stuff he was wearing and what was in his pocket. I thought the lawyer spent the weekend in jail.
Saving this
@@billrehm3590 Steel was taken into custody on contempt charges and removed from the courtroom. It is always smart to leave valuables behind when being taken into custody if given the opportunity, which is what Steel did. It wasn't until later in the day that the judge sentenced Steel to 10 weekends / 20 days in jail. At this point Steel didn't know what to expect in the immediate term.
Keith Adams (Steel's co-counsel who also told the judge he wouldn't snitch either) refused to proceed without Steel present. The DA asked that Steel be returned to the courtroom and the judge agreed so that the "trial" could proceed. (I say "trial" because the Rules of Criminal Procedure are quite clear on ex parte communication. The motion for a mistrial should have been granted, and Steel made sure his points were on the record (that goes to the appellate court) before being taken into custody. For all practical purposes, the trial ended right there.)
One of the higher courts intervened before Steel served any of the 20 days / 10 weekends sentence imposed by the judge. My recollection is Steel was held in custody for around an hour or so outside of the courtroom.
I can't wait to read the appeal for this case. Nothing that happens going forward will matter unless the defense is happy with the result.
What was really impressive was seeing the entire county defence bar show up to appear for Steel
That judge already looking through the comments for all the hints to find out who tattled.
All nuts and bolts all the time. Thanks for always making it plain Steve!