Attorney Damon Rossi, 38, was arrested last week for a curious crime: giving candy to his client in a Prescott, Arizona courtroom. Rossi had asked if he could give his client the candy and was told no. Seeing that his client was hungry, Rossi gave it to him anyway, asking “what are you going to do, arrest me?” The answer came the next day when he was arrested at his home.
Rossi was clearly out of line given the concerns about contraband. However, this is a matter that could have been handled by the judge in a stern meeting in chambers or through a financial sanction based on contempt. An arrest for a piece of candy is a bit excessive. Candy in the courtroom may be fattening, but it is not felonious.
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Another exhibit in the argument that common sense is all too uncommon.
Just one more example of how much trouble a Sweet Tooth can get you into! I would expect a judicial over reaction like this in Texas or Florida, but Arizona?
I understand the principle underlying the reason for not allowing feeding inmates in court, because the candy bar could have been laced with *mounds* of drugs instead of ‘Almond Mounds’. However, the attorney’s arrest for this action is irrational.
Does the attorney have any legal appeal/recourse to reverse this apparent injustice and get it expunged from his record?
Former Fed,
Maybe the judge was worried that the attorney hid a blade in the candy bar to allow the defendant to saw his way out of jail? I don’t have much criminal experience so I can’t answer to the recourse question. I am sure someone like Mespo or others will have an answer for you.
Are you saying that candy bar was left over from Halloween, rafflaw?
Jill,
It may have been left over from several Halloween’s ago and I guess it could be used as a hammer!
No way rafflaw! You’ve seen, “28 Days Later”? and these candy bars will stay soft longer than the nuclear waste will stay safe in Yucca Mountain. I was refering to the blade in the bar–now that’s a catchy slogan for a candy bar. Every Halloween we have to look out for the blades you know
“Baby Blade” candy bars have a certain ring to it. Or “Milky Saw” might do it.
If I was the attorney I would have offered the judge a $100,000 dollar bar to keep quiet.