A US judge ordered a defendant's mouth to be taped shut after repeated interruptions in court.

Judge Stephen Belden, of Canton Municipal Court in Ohio, said it was the best way to restore order after Harry Brown, 51, kept butting in, reports The Repository. The judge ordered a court official to put duct tape over robbery suspect Brown's mouth after he kept complaining about his court-appointed lawyer.

Brown complained that his attorney wasn't prepared for the case and angered the judge with his constant interruptions. After a warning, the judge told the bailiff to tape Brown's mouth shut. When the tape was finally removed, Brown complained that the judge wasn't being respectful. The judge ended the hearing and sent the case to a grand jury.

Wouldn't it have been easier to just throw him out?


The judge's creche wasn't too popular either...

The original was here