UPDATE: CHAD JOHNSON RELEASED AFTER APOLOGIZING TO JUDGE MCHUGH.
The action was something done after Judge McHugh told Johnson to thank his attorney for getting him a plea deal that originally kept him out of jail, and placed a community service obligation on him.
The legally-blind first year judge and former public defender, who has racked up $70,000 in campaign debt, and of her sources took out a $30,000 loan to run for office, is paying another kind of debt for her obvious overstep. Twitter, YouTube, and blogs are all over her for sending Chad Johnson to jail for, well, nothing really.
To this blogger, it seems that Judge Kathleen McHugh’s blindness and biological reliance on her hearing may have caused her to place the sound of the butt-slap in the category of something unexpected and disrespectful for that reason – the laughter in the court, as well as whatever’s personally going on with her, just added to the reasons for her decision.
In point of fact, the butt slap is a common action when an athlete thanks another for a job well-done on the field of play. Judge McHugh asked Johnson to thank his lawyer; Chad did just that – Judge McHugh didn’t say how he should thank him.
Chad really should be out of jail. As for Judge Kathleen McHugh, given the name calling on all of these sites, she could find herself a one-term judge when she comes up for reelection in 2018.
On the other hand, she’s got six more years of decisions before that time comes.
As a side note, Judge McHugh is in a video at the Ft. Lauderdale Tea Party Candidates Forum – but she’s not a Tea Party candidate. It was a forum open to all persons running for office. Moreover, McHugh received the endorsement of the Broward County Democratic Party.
If you want to call Judge McHugh and ask her to release Chad Johnson, the office number is (954) 831-7489, and her assistant is Eva Howard.
Stay tuned.