Plot Twist! Judge Suspended After Pulling Gun Out in Court, It Does Not Please the Court

As improbable as it might seem, there are certain times (and places) when it’s inappropriate to brandish a firearm. Like at the beach, during a physical exam, at a silent yoga retreat, while getting Chinese takeout. Pretty much anywhere that isn’t a gun range, hunting ground, or active battlefield.

But that didn’t stop one elderly man from getting all gung-ho about his rod. Unfortunately, he happened to be a judge who was in the middle of a court hearing at the time.

It happened in Wisconsin when one judge’s bizarre attempts to console the victim of a home invasion went awry after he pulled a pistol out of his pocket during the sentencing. (Because nothing makes a person feel safer than when a strange man in a robe pulls a gun on you.)

Though it looked bad at the time, Judge Scott C. Woldt had his reasons.

“I understand the fear of the victims in this case,” Woldt said, according to court documents. “I have tried the County Board, I have tried everything to get people to do something to keep guns out of this courthouse, and nothing happens, so you know, you got to protect yourself,” he mansplained. “I can tell you what I do now.

With the entire courtroom not sure where his rant was going but obliged to follow along, Woldt got to the point. “This is what I do,” he said, pulling a roscoe from his robes and pointing it at the defendant before telling everyone that he’d have shot the man if it’d been his house he’d walked into.

Nice.

Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time a judge has pulled a gun out in court. Back in 2012, a Georgia judge withdrew his persuader and pretended to offer it to an uncooperative witness as a not-so-subtle hint to start talking. So clearly, it’s what you might label a judgment call.

The truth is, everyone shows bad judgment now and then, especially Woldt, who has a track record of poor behavior. After all, the man brought a gun to a high school during Government Day. He even berated a 13-year-old victim of sexual assault while she was standing in his courtroom. You’d think after this latest error in discernment and common sense, he’d be put out to pasture.

But in the end, Judge Woldt received a weeklong suspension without pay (AKA a vacation to go shoot his guns in peace). It kind of looks like the justice system doesn’t always get it right. In fact, it almost looks exactly like they got this one completely wrong. Bungled. Blundered. Botched. And cocked up. But hey, who are we to judge?

Cover Photo: John Lund (Getty Images)

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