Courtroom ding-dong — US style
An unhappy US judge demanded that a lawyer resign from the legal profession after he reportedly sent over 100 profanity-filled emails to opposing lawyers, including one instructing them to “eat a bowl of d*cks”.
US district judge Otis Wright II told California-based lawyer Christopher Hook on Monday to quit after he “trashed [his] position” in a claim dispute with US insurance giant Allstate, Law.com (£) reports.
“Tell you what, slick, this profession does not need you,” Wright reportedly said. “I am going to do what I can to remove you from this profession.” Hook is said to have responded, “I will not do that”, before Wright fired back: “Shut up! I want you to resign from this profession.”
The legal row concerned a claim brought by a Los Angeles couple (represented by Hook) who argued they required a $350,000 (£270,000) reimbursement for residential water damage to their home. This six-figure sum was disputed by Allstate’s lawyers, Sheppard Mullin, which promoted the string of sweary emails from Hook.
Highlights included: “eat a bowl of d*cks”, “let the long d*ck of the law f*ck [your client]”, “c*mstain”, and “limp d*ck mother f*cker”.
During the hearing, Hook is said to have claimed the emails were protected as free speech under the First Amendment. This didn’t go down well with Wright: “You honestly believe the First Amendment extends to anything? You did go to law school, right?”
If that wasn’t enough, Hook was ordered to pay Allstate’s costs. “You’re going to pay for this,” Wright reportedly told Hook. “You’re going to write a check. That’s just the first thing. This is not going to be over.”