A lawyer in Missouri was ordered to spend a week in jail after saying “fuck you” to a judge in St. Louis County.
Medical malpractice attorney Eugene H. Fahrenkrog Jr. stands accused of criminal contempt for using the vulgarity during a hearing regarding a 2019 medical malpractice case that was overseen by St. Louis County Circuit Judge John N. Borbonus.
In a contempt order filed on Wednesday of this week, the judge describes the scene and refers to himself in the third-person:
On July 14, 2021, at a scheduled hearing in the above-entitled Court and in the immediate view, hearing and presence of Circuit Judge John N. Borbonus, St. Louis County Circuit Court, Clayton, Missouri, Attorney Eugene H. Fahrenkrog, Jr., Missouri Bar Number 22309 did state directly to Judge John N. Borbonus, “Fuck you!”
Using broad, sweeping and floral language, Bornobus categorized the offensive utterance as a direct affront to the integrity of the court–and the judge’s own power.
“Said behavior was willfully and intentionally committed, contemptuous, insolent and directly tended to interrupt proceedings of this Court and to impair the respect due its authority,” the order filed the same day those verboten words left the lawyer’s lips alleges.
“Therefore, this Court having presented Eugene H. Fahrenkrog Jr. with oral notice of the act so charged, and this Court having presented Eugene H. Fahrenkrog Jr. with an opportunity to answer to the criminal contempt, the Court finds beyond a reasonable doubt is guilty of direct criminal contempt,” the order concludes before issuing directions to law enforcement to detain the attorney in the Department of Justice Services of St. Louis County “until released according to law or until further order of the Court.”
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Lawyer Slapped With One-Week Jail Stint After Saying ‘F*** You’ to Judge in St. Louis
