Social worker jailed by judge

[Don Claybrook]

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060106/NEWS0104/601060383

A Jefferson County social worker was jailed for 30 hours for contempt of court last week after she tried to persuade a juvenile judge not to release a girl who has a troubled history.
...
In a tape of the hearing that Mack provided to The Courier-Journal, she attempts to tell the judge that the cabinet doesn't have a safe place to house the girl, who has a criminal history that includes drug use and fighting and has run away repeatedly. The girl was in court for a routine review of her case and was scheduled to be released from detention.
...
On the tape of the proceeding, Stengel conducts a brief hearing at which Mack is not allowed to speak and then lectures her about her courtroom conduct.

"You don't speak up unless you're asked a question," Stengel tells her.

Then Stengel orders Mack to leave the courtroom, but as Mack walks out, the judge apparently changes her mind and orders the courtroom deputy to "take her into custody."

But first, Stengel admonishes Mack.

"When you walk into this courtroom you need to show the ultimate respect," Stengel said. "Otherwise, you need to find another job."
(more)
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I encourage you to read the entire article. The social worker was jailed for contempt, and I cannot for the life of me understand why. Fortunately, the social worker had an audio tape of the entire exchange. This seems like a clear-cut case of abuse of power. Oh, and the social services cabinet that employs the social worker gave her no backup whatsoever, other than advising her that she was free to hire her own attorney.

[Maat]

1. Yikes!

I was a social worker who was in court for virtually 7 years straight; I never had a judge treat me badly.

Judges usually WANT to hear the whole story (your observations, etc.).

Was this person (the one on the bench) experienced in this type of proceeding? I doubt it.

[EFerrari]

2. Question: what do they mean by "cabinet"? n/t

[MichiganVote]

4. Essentially, Social Services

[EFerrari]

11. Thank you. I was hoping she wasn't delusionally

imagining the girl in a linen closet!

[MichiganVote]

3. Appalling. Judge Nut job needs to leave the bench.

[FreedomAngel82]

6. Scary

Has the judge ever done that before?

[MichiganVote]

8. Don't know about this judge but Social Workers are vulnerable everywhere

Not an easy occupation. Everybody has an ax to grind with them.

[patdem]

5. I was arrested for 'Contempt of Court'..and was lucky I did not spend

10 days in jail. In fact it was a case that was my friend who was charged as far as I am concerned ILLEGALLY.....she called 911..and even though the people on 911 heard her boyfriend theaten her...and she went outside the police ARRESTED HER! For no good reason...they said because she was drunk in public..and they never tested her for alcohol..then they said because she gave a false report..EXCEPT..the 911.call could hear her boyfriend threatening to kill her...so the cop never showed up...and when the case was dismissed...I said to the judge...'We want our day in court'..(I was a witness)...I was immediately charged with contempt of court. I was lucky I only spent one day in jail...cause ALL other Cntempt of Court cases resulted in 10 days in jail. Lucky is NOT really how I felt!

[existentialist]

7. comment from the bench

In over eight years on the bench I think I found individuals in direct contempt and sentenced them summarily three times--all three times on direct provocation that far exceeds anything described in the article.

[MichiganVote]

9. Exactly. Social Workers advocate but they aren't anarchrists

[Acryliccalico]

10. If you are a juvenile social worker

you must be an advocate for that child even if it is in the juveniles interest to be held in detention. Sounds like she was doing what she was trained to do.

[Don Claybrook]

12. day shift kick n/t

.