A Tennessee man who was scheduled for a court appearance for a marijuana citation was arrested on a contempt of court charges yesterday after sparking a joint in front of the judge.
20-year-old Spencer Boston lit up a joint in a packed courtroom and it was all caught on video.
Boston, 20, was standing at the podium before Judge Haywood Barry. The two discussed the case briefly, then the judge looked down.
Boston then reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a joint, struck a match and lit up. He puffed on the joint then turned to the packed audience and said, “The people deserve better.”
Court officers say many laughed out loud.
The video showed the court bailiffs immediately taking Boston into custody. He received 10 days in jail.
“I’ve been in law enforcement for 20 years and this is by far the most bizarre thing I have seen in a courtroom. He is a lot braver than I am,” said Lt. Scott Moore with the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office. “When you go in front of a judge, there is a high level of respect in court that must be maintained, and he definitely disrespected the judge and the courtroom so there should be consequences.”
According to the TBI, Boston had no prior arrest history before this incident in court.
