Court Upholds Order Keeping Lawyer Away From Ex-Judge
A California lawyer will have to stay at least 100 yards away from the judge who handled his divorce under a restraining order upheld yesterday by an appeals court.
Lawyer James Disney of Concord had appealed the order, contending it violated his freedom of speech and right to practice law, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The First District Court of Appeal disagreed, saying Disney remained free to criticize the now retired judge, Peter Spinetta.
The opinion (PDF) said Disney confronted the judge at a Home Depot and shouted that he was stupid. He also showed up twice at the judge’s retirement community, sent him a series of insulting and critical letters, and visited the judge’s courtroom where he stared at him, the court said.
One of the letters read: “The problem with judges is that their head is often up their ass much of the time, their eyes and ears thinking how great they must be perched on such a pedestal.”
