Judge orders to shut defendant's mouth with tape
A Ohio judge ordered a prisoner’s mouth be taped shut in court because the defendant wouldn’t stop talking. Disturbing video shows six deputies surrounding the man before gagging him.
Ohio judge John Russo ordered court deputies to shut the mouth of defendant Franklyn Williams during his sentencing hearing at the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday.
Video filmed inside the court shows Williams speaking as Ruso repeatedly tells him to be quiet, Fox8 reports. “Shut your mouth and I will tell you when you can talk. You got it?” the judge said.
“You’ll get a chance to talk. I am going to give you a chance to talk,” Russo added, before warning the defendant: “If I have to, I will gag you in one second.”
Williams was attempting to tell the court he had only just met his attorney and that his belongings had been taken from his cell.
A group of six deputies surrounded Williams before they covered his mouth with red duct tape. “It’s against my rights, man, it’s not fair,” Williams said as a deputy prepared the tape, WHIOTV reports. “This judge is just trying to send me to prison. I’m getting no justice, this is not a fair trial.”
Russo later defended his order, telling Fox8 he knew Williams was “someone who liked to speak,” and that he gave him more than a dozen warnings to stop talking. He added that it was perfectly legal for a sheriff’s deputy to gag a defendant.
Williams was sentenced to 24 years in prison for aggravated robbery, kidnapping and misuse of credit cards. He had previously been sentenced to 14 years after pleading guilty, but later won an appeal because he had been misinformed about when he would be eligible for early release from prison.
During his retrial in December, he cut off his ankle monitor and fled to Nebraska. The court continued with his trial without him. Once he was caught, Williams said he had been hit on the head in Nebraska and couldn’t remember anything. On Tuesday prosecutors played tapes of his phone calls with family members which contradicted his claim.
courtesy : rt.com
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MP Brijesh Chowta urges centre to grant point of call status to Mangaluru airport
New Delhi: Dakshina Kannada MP Brijesh Chowta has demanded that Mangaluru International Airport be given Point of Call (TOC) status urgently.
Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha under Rule 377, MP Chowta said that Mangaluru International Airport is a major aviation gateway for coastal Karnataka and neighbouring Kerala. The airport handled around 23.4 lakh passengers, including 7.15 lakh international passengers, during 2024-25. More than 16,800 flights were operated for it. This has registered a growth of more than 15% annually. He said that these figures highlight the importance of the airport in terms of growth and commercial promotion.
A significant number of people from Tulunadu regions work in Gulf and Middle Eastern countries. This working community relies heavily on Mangaluru airport for international travel. However, due to lack of point of call status, foreign airlines are unable to operate direct international services from here. Hence, passengers have to travel via Bengaluru or Cochin airports. This is causing various inconveniences to the NRI community, including high cost, long travel time, Brijesh Chowta has drawn the attention of the House.
ALSO READ: MP Kota Srinivas demands double-tracking of Konkan railway route
Granting the status to Mangaluru International Airport will enable direct international connectivity for the people of this region. It will also facilitate further expansion of airline operations. It will enable smooth travel for the working class abroad and their families.
Such air connectivity will naturally boost trade and investment activities here. It will also support and encourage regional industries like areca nut, cashew nut processing and petrochemicals. It will also complement the growth of the Mangalore Special Economic Zone, MP Chowta assured the House.
Providing direct international connectivity can not only boost the growth of tourism in the coastal region but also the progress in the education sector. It will also facilitate easy travel for students, researchers and visitors of prestigious institutions like NITK Suratkal and Manipal Institute of Technology to international forums, he said.
