Law&Crime Sidebar - Top 5 Wildest Courtroom Outbursts from High-Profile Trials

Episode Date: November 11, 2022

For the majority of the trials Law&Crime covers, everything usually remains relatively calm. But there are moments when that just doesn't happen. Law&Crime's Jesse Weber revisits some of those intense courtroom outbursts. PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW:Hey Prime Members, listen to the Amazon Music exclusive podcast, KILLER PSYCHE DAILY, in the Amazon Music App. Download the app today! LAW&CRIME SIDEBAR PRODUCTION:YouTube Management - Bobby SzokePodcasting - Sam GoldbergVideo Editing - Logan HarrisGuest Booking - Alyssa FisherSocial Media Management - Kiera BronsonSUBSCRIBE TO OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Court JunkieObjectionsThey Walk Among AmericaCoptales and CocktailsThe Disturbing TruthSpeaking FreelyLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrime/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can binge all episodes of this Law and Crimes series ad-free right now. Join Wondry Plus in the Wondery app Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Agent Nate Russo returns in Oracle 3, Murder at the Grandview, the latest installment of the gripping Audible Original series. When a reunion at an abandoned island hotel turns deadly, Russo must untangle accident from murder. But beware, something sinister lurks in the grand. views shadows. Joshua Jackson delivers a bone-chilling performance in this supernatural thriller that

will keep you on the edge of your seat. Don't let your fears take hold of you as you dive into this addictive series. Love thrillers with a paranormal twist? The entire Oracle trilogy is available on Audible. Listen now on Audible. For the majority of the trials that we cover here on Law and Crime and Cybar, usually everything remains relatively calm, but there are moments when that just doesn't happen. So we want to revisit some of these intense courtroom outburst, and we're going to start with the trial of Scott Nelson. Scott Nelson was convicted of the murder of Nanny Jennifer Fulford after he robbed a home out in Florida and then kidnapped her, and he admitted on the stand that he killed her so there wouldn't be a witness. Just such an evil, evil crime. Then it became a matter

of what should be his punishment, life in prison or the death penalty. And during the penalty phase of the trial, Roy Gravett, a federal prison expert, came on the stand, and he testified that Nelson had problems with Muslim inmates while behind bars, while Mr. Nelson didn't quite like the way that he was being portrayed, and he let everyone know about it. Outside the scope of this witness, his police. Jesus Christ. Am Corpour, can you read back the question? Mr. Nelson has shown no ice for the special house.

You can't call me. Mr. Nelson, Mr. Nelson, you need to take a moment. Mr. Nelson, you need to take a moment with your turn. Hold on, sir, sir. Members of the jury, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Nelson. Mr. Nelson, Mr. Nelson, are we clear that you're going to stop talking? I need a verbal affirmative. Mr. Nelson, talk with your attorneys and then your attorneys, I'm going to, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Nelson, Ms. Simmons has asked for a moment to talk with you privately. I'm going to grant her request and you're going to have that opportunity. You need to follow the deputy's instructions so they can facilitate this. Okay, go ahead. Are they born to kill or are they made to kill? Well, Killer Psychie Daily is a new podcast that gives you a quick 10-minute rundown every weekday

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the app today. He interrupts the testimony in his seat that is so not allowed. The attorneys can make objections. He can't say anything. And isn't it just so wild that he wants to proclaim he's not a racist? He had no problem saying he's a killer, but as long as everyone knows, he's not erased this. Oh, okay. Interestingly, I should tell you that Nelson asked the jurors to give him the death penalty, and they actually sentenced him to life in prison. By the way, it's very common for defense to not be happy with what's being said in court either to them or about them. But that does lead me to one other outburst that almost devolved into something much worse. It is the Florida penalty trial of Bessman Ocalfour, the man convicted of murdering 19-year-old Alex Zaldivar, with

prosecutors saying he executed the teen to prevent him from testifying. And at a Spencer hearing, which under Florida law allows defendants to present additional evidence when determining a sentence, Zaldivar's father took the stand. And as you'll see, he makes comments directly to Okofor that the murderer didn't like. I just run out of adjectives. I don't know what to say to this man anymore. But today

would be the last time that I will get to see him. But I will see you in 10 years. Objection, Your Honor. Thank you very much. No question. Please, let's it in. Let's take him outside for just a moment.

Mr. Ashton. Can you take that photograph? So you have Mr. Zaldivar saying directly to the defendant, you're dead. Cursing and saying, I'll show you how gangster I am, he was removed from the courtroom. And I'll tell you, if it wasn't for the special response team of Orange County Sheriff's deputies, who knows what could have happened in that courtroom. Little side note here, O'Kifor was sentenced to death, but that's kind of up in the air given how Florida changed their laws, which now requires a unanimous jury vote for the death penalty.

But either way, what a moment. Now, sticking with the theme of angry defendants for a second, let's go to Dorell Brooks. Again, we talked about him extensively here on the program. I'm the guy convicted of killing six people, injuring dozens of others after driving his car into a holiday parade out of Walker Shaw, Wisconsin. And as I've mentioned on the show before, Brooks, who decided to represent himself, got into major fights with Judge Jennifer Daro, particularly since he would bring up irrelevant legal theories and would constantly complain that his rights were violated and he just was overly disruptive of the proceedings. Yes, the arguments got intense at times, but no point was as bad as this. I'm going to give you a little bit of a setup here. What you're about to hear and see comes off of Brooks saying the prosecution wasn't playing fair. He made a baseless accusation that the state was coaching witnesses and he was getting more and more angry. And then this happened. So as long as the jury's out, we should probably discuss that. I would like to provide the defendant and the court with. So that had to be, that had to be said. So it's the defendant.

That's not how it was said. That was how I said. You want to run a record back? Mr. Brooks. So I'm the only why I got one, I got one ear at work, and I heard that. This is to benefit you so that you understand your witness has a prior record. Your Honor, when I leave the table, I'm away from the courtroom, and I have to elevate my voice. This is the alleged record of Abel-Lis-Cott. Stop talking. Come on, man.

Like, I don't know who y'all be thinking, y'all fooling. I accept the value and return for value this document. One more interruption, and you're going to be removed to the next courtroom. That's what you want to. to do anyway. It's not what I want to do. Do not interrupt attorney opera. So can you tell you sleep? I believe he has seven prior criminal convictions via OWI second from 1997 and OWI third from 1997 and OWI fourth from 2003 criminal trespassed the

dwelling from 2006. I need to take a break. This man right now is having a stare down with me. It's very disrespectful. He pounded his fist frankly, it makes me scared. Wow. I mean, when have you heard a judge stopping court because of that? He slams his fist. He just stares her down. The level of patience that Judge Darrow had during the course of these proceedings is pretty remarkable. And I said it before. I'll say it again. When people say, how come she didn't kick him out of the court more? Why did she give him so much leeway? I was of the opinion that I think she wanted to ensure that she gave him every opportunity and every chance so that when he was convicted, which he was, he couldn't muster any kind of argument like

the court was unfair to him. Just unbelievable. By the way, one more angry defendant that we have to address, Alex Jones. Now, again, another case we've talked a lot about here on sidebar. Well, Alex Jones had two trials that we covered, one in Texas and one in Connecticut. The Info Wars host was sued over comments that he made that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was fake and that it was staged. And when he testified in his first trial in Texas, he took the stand and said that

he didn't intend to harm anyone. He seemed almost apologetic. Says that the shooting was 100% real. But then after being hit with an. almost $50 million judgment, you have to wonder if something changed. Because when his Connecticut trial happened later, some would say perhaps the real Alex Jones came out, or at the very least, a different side of Alex Jones. That's Robbie Parker, Mr. Jones. That's the real Robert Parker, isn't it? I mean, I said years ago, I thought sending him. Robert Parker's sitting right

here. He's real, isn't he? Yes. And for years, you put a target on his back, didn't you? Objection in the form of that judge. Well, I mean, I... Didn't you? I bet he's said his name. It's true. I haven't said other people saying if they are.

You put a target on his back just like you did every single parent and loved one sitting here. No, I didn't. No, you did. That's argumented. There's no...

They're speculative. There is no foundation for it and it's inappropriate. Let's move on. He's a real people. You know what, Mr. Jones? I think you just called him move on. Just like all the Iraqis,

but you liberals kill and love. It's just you're unbelievable. You switch on the motions on and off what you want. It's just ambulance, Jason. Why don't you show a little respect? Objection, Judge. I think that you get what you give in this courtroom. Objection.

You have families in this courtroom here that lost children, sisters, wives, moms. This is a struggle session? Are we in China? I've already said, I'm sorry, hundreds of times. And I'm done saying, I'm sorry. I didn't pregenerate this. I wasn't the first person to say it. American governor isn't like being blamed for this as the left did.

So we rejected it mentally and said it must not be true. But I legitimately thought it might have been staged. And I stand by that and I don't apologize for it. And don't apologize, Mr. Jones. Please don't apologize to you. I don't apologize to you. Don't apologize to you. You're going to do it again.

Objection, Judge. Aren't you? No or not. Objection. Objection argument. Don't apologize to you. Well, it's hard. for me to get a word in it twice.

It is, but I think there's one officer of the court and one witness or witness in an officer the court or the attorney. And I can't rule on your attorney's. Excuse me. I'm sorry. I'll tell you, I'm not sure him acting any different would have changed the outcome of in this case, he was hit with an almost $1 billion damages judgment. But what this part does is it really highlights some of the things that Jones was saying

on his program. And some believe that this was all an act, that he was really pacifying his audience of followers, that this was all a show trial for him, and he was just trying to stand up to his enemies. All right, I couldn't talk about the most memorable courtroom outbursts without talking about one that is unlike anything else. This was during the sentencing hearing for Larry Nassar, the former physician for the USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University who sexually abused hundreds of girls. Well, during a sentencing hearing out in Michigan, Randall Margraves, the father of three girls who were abused by Larry Nassar, asked the

judge for a favor and as you'll see things erupt into chaos judge what a distraught father have a chance say something you son of us we don't want to swear we don't want to have profanity I can't imagine the anger and the anxiety and the feeling of whining retribution and if you need say something to help you. I'm more than willing to let you say something, but in a courtroom we don't use profanity, but if you have some words that you would like to say, I would like to give me the opportunity to say. I would ask you to, as part of this sentencing, to grant me five minutes in a locker room of this demon. Would you do that? Yes or no? Would you give me one minute? I can't do that that's not how it is. Well, I'm going to have to get it.

What if this happened to you guys? You cannot behave like that. No one can behave like this. I'm going to make sure it's crystal clear. I'm sure Judge Kemp. You have to look through a lady. You cannot behave like this. This is letting him have this.

Yeah, I've never seen that before. That's why courtroom deputies are so important. In fact, the judge had to weigh whether imposing a contempt of court charge on him, and she ultimately denied doing so, given the circumstances of the case. Margraves did apologize to the court. He said, I lost control. I apologized 100 times. I'm definitely calmed down.

I'm embarrassed. I'm not here to upstage my daughters. I'm here to help them heal. So yes, completely wrong for him to do, but also completely understandable why he chose to do that. All right, everybody, that's all we have for you. Thank you so much for joining us here on Sidebar. Please subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify, YouTube, wherever you get your podcast. I'm Jesse Weber. I'll speak to you next time.

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