We’ve all wanted to punch a judge in the face before, but how many of us actually do it? For most people, common sense, anger management, and a certain amount of courtroom decorum prevent us from going there. But Joseph Catarineau from Houston, Texas is not like most people.
The 58-year-old showed up for a routine hearing to discuss false financial documents he’d submitted in 2018 when things got out of hand. After a tense exchange where his status as a sovereign citizen was questioned (an individual who refuses to pay taxes), Catarineau called the judge some colorful names, prompting the honorable Danny Lacayo to deny him bond.
As the bailiff went to take him into custody, Catarineau flew into a rage and grabbed her hair, tackled her to the ground, and let his fists fly. (As if he wasn’t in enough hot water already.)
Witnesses in the court were shocked.
“He was just wailing on her, so I tried to jump in,” prosecutor Jacob Salinas said. But it was clear Salinas needed backup. So Judge Lacayo rolled up his sleeves, climbed over the bench and dove into the fray.
In the style of a classic Western courtroom brawl, the three men traded punches long enough for the bailiff to retrieve her stun gun and shoot Catarineau. Unfortunately, because their limbs were locked in battle, the jolt hit all three men, and they collapsed into a pile of robes, sweat, and cheap suits on the courtroom floor.
You don’t see that on Law and Order.
Thankfully, the judge and bailiff were not seriously injured. However, we can’t say the same for the defendant. On top of the alleged financial fraud, Catarineau is being charged with three counts of assault on a public servant. Whoops. Now that’s what we call fisticuffs.
Cover Photo: Siri Stafford (Getty Images)
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