Judge orders defendant’s mouth taped shut during sentencing hearing ‘I’ll tell you when you can talk’

Aug 1, 2018

A Cleveland man had two pieces of tape placed over his mouth during his sentencing on Tuesday, after the judged warned him to stop talking.

Franklyn Williams was convicted of three armed robberies during his trial, but he reportedly had a lot to say about the matter as Judge John Russo tried to speak.

According to the Daily Mail, Williams spoke over the judge and ignored multiple warnings to remain quiet.

“Mr Williams, I’m the judge in the matter. Shut your mouth, and I’ll tell you when you can talk,’ he told the defendant. “If we have to, I will gag you in one second.”

The judge noted that the court stenographer would not be able to keep up with the hearing if Williams continued to interrupt and argue over him and his attorneys.

“I’m going to tape it, and I’ll unzip it when I want you to talk,” he said. But Williams refused quiet down, so the judge ordered that tape be placed over his mouth so the sentencing could proceed.

According to Metro News, Williams continued to protest, saying: ‘But you’re not letting me tell you what’s going on. ‘You trying to take my life judge, and you’re not letting me tell you what’s going on. It’s not fair.’

Video of the incident shows him held down in his seat as an officer applies a thick piece of red duct tape over his mouth.

Williams had previously been sentenced to 14 years but won an appeal when a jury found he had been misinformed about when he would be eligible for release. His re-trial was stalled when he cut his ankle bracelet and fled to Nebraska, where Franklyn claimed he was hit over the head and lost his memory.

In court on Tuesday, prosecutors played his phone calls with family to prove that not only did Williams not lose his memory, he also researched on his cell the best ways to beat criminal charges.

He was sentenced to 24 years in prison.