Partial Transcript of Clash at Hearing
Three-strikes defendant Ronnie Hawkins clashed verbally with Long Beach Municipal Judge Joan Comparet-Cassani almost as soon as his sentencing hearing began, court transcripts show. Six times, the judge ordered Hawkins, who was acting as his own attorney, to stop interrupting her. Here is a partial transcript of the hearing:
Comparet-Cassani: “You are wearing a very bad instrument, and if you want to feel it, you can, but stop interrupting me.”
Hawkins: “You are going to electrocute me for talking?”
Comparet-Cassani: “No, sir, but they will zap you if you keep doing it . . . “
[Hawkins interrupts the judge again.]
Comparet-Cassani: “One more time. One more time. Go ahead.”
Hawkins: “That is unconstitutional.”
After this comment, the judge orders her bailiff to activate the belt and administer a 50,000-volt jolt of electricity to Hawkins, according to the transcript.
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