In the assembly-line justice and double standards departments:
Plough Has Public Defender Arrested
Attorney told judge he was not ready to try
case he had for less than a day
Ravenna, Ohio. August 17 – Portage County Municipal Court Judge John Plough ordered a Portage County public defender placed under arrest for contempt of court Thursday.
The order was given after the attorney said he was unprepared and unable to begin a scheduled trial, having only been appointed to represent a defendant the day before the trial was scheduled to begin.
Brian Jones, an employee of Portage County Public Defender Dennis Lager since May, was held in contempt of court during an afternoon trial at Portage County Municipal Court in Kent after he told Plough he was unable to go forward with the trial.
Plough ordered a Portage County Sheriff's deputy to remove Jones from his courtroom in front of his client, spectators and courthouse employees…
Scott had a pre-trial hearing July 25, but according to Plough failed for almost two months to obtain counsel. He was appointed a public defender on Wednesday. With the trial set to begin at 11 a.m. Thursday, Plough moved the trial back to 1:30 p.m., giving Jones two-and-a-half-hours to prepare his case…
It is not the first time a public defender has drawn Plough's ire in the courtroom. Public defender Robin Bostick also was threatened with contempt charges when appearing before Plough on a previous case with little time to prepare.
Imagine what would happen if a judge ordered a prosecutor arrested for not being ready to try a case he had been given only two-and-a-half hours earlier?
(Thanks to Terry Rudes.)
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