Having your cellphone ring during court is a major no-no. Many courthouses now flatly prohibit the public from bringing their cellphones in courthouses for fear of them going off.
For those of us who have had our cellphones ring at inopportune times, it may make you feel good to know that even judges struggle with their cellphones going off in the court room.
A state court judge in Michigan, Hon. Hugh B. Clarke Jr., held himself in contempt of court and fined himself $50 after his cellphone went off during a sentencing hearing. “I’m not above the law, why would I treat myself differently, that would make me a hypocrite,” remarked Clarke.