Headed to court in Will County, Illinois? For your own sake, get a good night's sleep beforehand, or at least a power nap in the hallway beforehand. Courtroom sleepiness is likely to land you in the lockup.
That's what happened to Clifton Williams recently, anyway, according to a
Chicago Tribune story. Circuit Judge Daniel Rozak didn't take kindly to Williams' yawning during a July 23 sentencing for Williams' cousin, and slapped him with a charge of criminal contempt of court.
To be sure, at least some courtroom spectators were in agreement that Williams' yawn was no simple, involuntary action, but rather was timed and exaggerated so as to disrupt the sentencing proceeding, however briefly.
As a reward for his performance, Williams will actually be facing more jail time than his
cousin the drug defendant, who got two years' probation for his offense.
Williams received six months in jail, which, according to the Tribune
story, is the max he could receive without actually going to a jury
trial. He's expected to serve at least three weeks of that sentence.