A Cleveland judge ordered bailiffs to tape a convicted robber’s mouth shut when he refused to stop talking during sentencing proceedings on Tuesday.
Franklyn Williams, 32, was being sentenced inside the Cuyohoga County Common Pleas Court for three armed robbery convictions when his continual outbursts kept the judge and even his own attorney from speaking at various points, WTKR reported.
“Mr. Williams, I’m the judge in the matter, shut your mouth and I will tell you when you can talk. You got it?” Judge John Russo said after the first interruption, during which Williams was complaining about his attorney.
“At this point I’m going to hear from your lawyers, and that means zip it,” Russo said.
After another interruption, Russo asked the convicted felon if he understood the comment “quit talking.”
“Zip it until I give you a chance to talk,” said the judge. “You’ll get a chance to talk. I am going to give you a chance to talk.”
When Williams wouldn’t stop interrupting, Judge Russo asked bailiffs to put tape over his mouth.
“It is what it is,” Williams could be heard saying under the tape sometime before he was eventually sentenced to 24 years in prison.
Williams had been convicted in December of several counts of kidnapping, aggravated robbery, theft, and other crimes. He reportedly cut his ankle bracelet, escaped to Nebraska, then claimed he lost his memory after being hit over the head. That claim was later debunked in court when prosecutors played several of Williams’ phone calls with family as well as showed internet research he had done on how to beat criminal charges, WTKR reports.
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