Judge Fines Himself for Smartphone Disturbance in Court

[silicon_toad2000]

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Judge-Smartphone-Fine-Court-Disturbance,22047.html

These days, it's hardly surprising to hear that a Michigan judge found himself in contempt of court after his cell phone interrupted court proceedings. After all, we live in a constantly connected world, right? That said, it is strange that Judge Raymond Voet held himself in contempt of court.

The AP (via Huffington Post) reports that Voet fined himself for the interruption after his smartphone went off during a prosecutor's closing argument on Friday. Apparently, Voet's Windows Phone started requesting voice commands with no warning. Voet reckons he must have bumped the phone by accident, but he wasn't about to let himself off the hook that easily. Voet has a policy against the use of electronics in his court. This policy states that the owner of any electronic devices causing a disturbance during court sessions will be cited with contempt. His logic is that if he can't live by his own rules, how can he expect others to abide them? He fined himself $25 during a break in the proceedings.

"Judges are humans," The AP cites Voet said. "They're not above the rules. I broke the rule and I have to live by it."