What not to wear to court
By laglen
@laglen (19759)
United States
May 5, 2010 2:09pm CST
Please note* there is adult content in here*
MAY 5--Meet Jennifer LaPenta. The Illinois woman, 19, was jailed Monday after a judge was offended by the t-shirt she wore to a friend's court hearing. LaPenta, wearing a black shirt with the message, "I Have The Pusy, So I Make The Rules," ran afoul of Judge Helen Rozenberg, a Circuit Court jurist who handles misdemeanor and traffic cases. A miffed Rozenberg, 56, summoned LaPenta from the gallery, and cited her for contempt of court. The judge then immediately sentenced LaPenta to 48 hours in jail, and had her removed from the courtroom in handcuffs. LaPenta, pictured in the below mug shot, was released yesterday from the Lake County jail after spending the night in custody. She is now reportedly considering a lawsuit over her garment-related bust. In a May 3 court order, Rozenberg wrote that LaPenta, "displaying herself on the front row," offered "no excuse" for her apparel. In an amended order filed yesterday (presumably after she learned of media interest in the case), Rozenberg made sure to include the exact "obscene wording" found on LaPenta's shirt
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2010/0505101tshirt1.html
What do you think? Would you ever wear something like that to court? Unbelievable!5 people like this
9 responses
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
6 May 10
I think they went overboard. What they should have done was told her to remove herself from the court room. No need for cuffs and jail, just get out of the court room. As for the cuffs and stuff, I hope she wins her lawsuit. They totally overreacted.
2 people like this
@angelajoy (1825)
• Philippines
6 May 10
That's what I thought too. It seems too harsh to have someone put into jail just for wearing an inappropriate t-shirt. The judge could've just sent her out of the court. She didn't have to have the woman jailed. She overreacted. I'm not surprised that the woman is now filing a case against her.
1 person likes this
@donyun247 (90)
• Singapore
6 May 10
Well I wouldn't wear anything that can offend the judge. Being summon to the court is already scary anyway. Provoking someone powerful in the court is even more stupid than ever.
2 people like this
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
6 May 10
If I'm reading this right, she was not on trial for any sort of crime. I do agree that the t-shirt was in poor taste. I personally would not have even considered wearing such a shirt in a court room or anywhere. That being said, we do have "freedom of speech. I do get that it is the judges court and if the shirt offended him, yes, ask her to leave. Arrest her? I think that is pushing it. I think the more subtle approach of asking her to leave the court house would have sent a stronger, more powerful message.
@hvedra (1619)
•
6 May 10
"Contempt of court" is a very old charge to stop people disrupting proceedings and it applies to anyone who enters a courtroom be they participants or spectators.
I don't think asking her to leave would have been the stronger message, I think she is one of those self-obsessed idiots who NEED to be told how obnoxious they are.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
5 May 10
Hello laglen,
As I am a man, I am sure I will not wear this shirt 
. Nor anything similar, because I am too old for these fantasies. But lifestyle is changing, and I know that until 1914 in my country, women wearing pants were also cited for contempt to court...
She was not really insulting the court and I saw shirts like this one twenty years ago ; I am not sure that somebody wearing this shirt will be prosecuted in twenty years. The comment of the judge saying that she was "displaying herself on the front row" is significant : so, if she was not in the front row...
. Nor anything similar, because I am too old for these fantasies. But lifestyle is changing, and I know that until 1914 in my country, women wearing pants were also cited for contempt to court...
She was not really insulting the court and I saw shirts like this one twenty years ago ; I am not sure that somebody wearing this shirt will be prosecuted in twenty years. The comment of the judge saying that she was "displaying herself on the front row" is significant : so, if she was not in the front row...
2 people like this
@HADDOWZ (1469)
•
12 May 10
Hello,
In my opinion you should go to court dressed as if you were going to a job interview. You should be showing some respect for the authority and laws by which you should abide. Going to court is not a day out or a fashion parade and I believe there should be certain dress codes that everyone you go by.
Showing and having respect is the key.
Have a happy day at myLot.
@o0jopak0o (6394)
• Philippines
6 May 10
well i find it the whole thing kinda funny. but i think judge is a little bit oversensitive with this one.
hmm what if you where "im innocent" shirt that would be fun
1 person likes this
@hvedra (1619)
•
6 May 10
That's so funny. I can't believe how utterly self-absorbed and disrespectful people are these days. Bad enough she has such pathetic dress sense but wearing it in a courtroom?
She wasn't doing her friend any favours either.
No, she deserved the shock of a couple of days in jail. These idiots need to learn to show some respect to other people instead of constantly going around with the idea that they are above everyone else.
