Opinion ID: 2831598
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Count 1: Contempt in Judge Farris's Courl

Text: In 2011, Abele represented the father in a three-way child custody battle in Snohomish County Superior Court. Ms. Janal Rich and Mr. Richard Jones represented the other parties, and Judge Anita Farris presided over the matter. The trial lasted 13 days; the attorneys testified that it was unusual, complex, and contentious. 2 In re Disciplinary Proceeding Against Abele, No. 201,352-0 Throughout the trial, Abele was repeatedly admonished for interrupting the court and other counsel. She slammed objects on the table and made loud comments when Judge Farris ruled against her. Though Abele's comments and actions were distracting to opposing counsel, she did not stop when the court instructed her to do so. Instead, Abele would falsely respond, I did not say anything and continue to engage in disruptive behavior. 1 The court held a posttrial hearing in August 2011 to finalize the parenting plan. Abele made it clear that she wanted the case resolved that day because she intended to immediately appeal the court's decision. The court told Abele that it would not be possible to conclude that day and that she would not sign Abele's proposed findings. Abele became angry and said to Judge Farris, You've got to leave now. We have to take a break now. Judge Farris, inferring from the statement that Abele was going to blow up, called for a recess. After Judge Farris left the bench, Abele made a loud screaming noise that could be heard in other rooms in the courthouse. Security was called, but Abele was not held in contempt for this outburst,2 On September 28, 2011, the court held another hearing to finalize the parenting plan. Abele and opposing attorney Rich were present in the courtroom, with Jones present by telephone. Abele and Rich loudly discussed a discrepancy in the parenting plan while Judge Farris was speaking. Frustrated with Abele's interruption, Judge 1 Abele's disruptive behavior was not limited to the courtroom. Abele's calls to Ms. Rich's staff were abusive, requiring Ms. Rich to implement an office-wide policy of screening Abele's telephone calls. Abele also referred to the court's decisions as wrong or stupid in front of opposing counsel and the court staff while the court was in recess. 2 Though Judge Farris was not present and did not know the cause of the scream, testimony from attorney Jones and the court reporter supported Abele's assertion that the scream was a cry of pain rather than a cry of frustration or anger. 3 In re Disciplinary Proceeding Against Abele, No. 201,352-0 Farris attempted to make a record of her concerns, hoping to prevent further interruptions. But Abele repeatedly interrupted Judge Farris, even yelling to express her disagreement. When Judge Farris directed staff to summon security, Abele announced, I'm going to jail. I'm going to jail, placing her hands over her head, crossed at the wrists as if being handcuffed. Abele walked out of the courtroom while court was still in session, causing the proceedings to come to a halt. Abele reentered the courtroom and announced, I'm leaving. I'm out of here .... I'm abstaining completely.... Good-bye. The court ordered security personnel to locate Abele and return her to the courtroom. When Marshal Patrick Miles located Abele, she informed Miles that she would not return. Miles and Sergeant David Hayes again informed Abele that Judge Farris ordered her back to the courtroom. Abele refused initially but ultimately returned to the courtroom. On Abele's return, Judge Farris continued to make a record of Abele's behavior. Judge Farris stated that in the previous hearing Abele had made loud noises that to me sounded like an animal being killed and that I have been in these courts for 30 years, 18 as a judge. I have never heard anything-! have never heard any lawyer make any kind of noise or do anything like that before. Abele again yelled at the judge, attributing her previous scream to a hip injury and claiming that her yelling was the result of a hearing disability. Judge Farris held Abele in contempt based on your screaming, yelling, jumping up and down in my courtroom, stomping and thenstomping out and refusing to represent your client ....  Abele responded, Your 4 In re Disciplinary Proceeding Against Abele, No. 201,352-0 Honor, I appreciate your lecture. Could you just tell me how much I have to pay in a fine so I can get rid of it and take care of it and resolve this issue with you? To purge her contempt, Judge Farris ordered Abele to make contact within 30 days with the Lawyer's Assistance Program (LAP) provided by the Washington State Bar Association. Abele refused repeatedly to contact LAP. Abele's behavior continued to have a disruptive effect on the courthouse after the hearing concluded. Immediately after leaving the courtroom, Abele yelled, [T]hat bitch! Opposing counsel Ms. Rich was so shaken by Abele's behavior that she asked to be accompanied by security personnel while leaving the courthouse. Despite her earlier refusals, Abele contacted LAP later in the day, timely purging her contempt. B. Count II: Knowingly Filing a False Police Report Count II was based on Abele's conduct following her appearance before Commissioner James Kahan at the King County Courthouse in Seattle. Abele repeatedly left and reentered the courtroom. Commissioner Kahan requested additional security personnel because he believed that Abele was causing a disruption outside of his courtroom. Marshal Samuel Copeland was dispatched and served as standby backup, observing the proceedings from the back of the courtroom. While Abele was outside the courtroom, Copeland heard a loud, agitated female voice in the hallway. He investigated, saw Abele in the hallway, and asked her to quiet down. This angered Abele: she extended her palm to Copeland, indicating that she didn't want to listen to him, told him that she was an attorney and she could talk however she wanted, and indicated that she didn't respect him. She also 5 In re Disciplinary Proceeding Against Abele, No. 201 ,352-0 suggested to her client that Copeland was harassing her. Copeland returned to the courtroom in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. Later that day, Abele again encountered Copeland and yelled at him that she didn't respect him and that someone should tart in [his] face. Copeland again walked away from Abele and toward Marshal Webb at the court's Fourth Avenue security checkpoint. Abele followed Copeland to the checkpoint. Assuming that Webb was Copeland's supervisor, Abele complained to Webb about Copeland's behavior, waving her arms and speaking loudly and aggressively. Webb listened to Abele for a short time and asked her to go about her business, stating that he did not need to speak with her. Abele, angry at this dismissal, attempted to force her way between Copeland and Webb, yelling to the marshals, [A]re you going to get out of my way? Webb was seated on a stool, and Copeland was standing approximately one foot away from Webb. Instead of walking around the marshals in the six to eight feet of open hallway available to her, Abele pushed her way between them, contacting both police officers: her leg brushed against Webb's knee and she pushed against Copeland's body, causing him to move. Abele immediately spun around, pointed, and yelled at Webb, accusing him of tripping her. She called 911, and SPD Officer James Ritter responded. Abele told Ritter that Webb had intentionally tripped her. She asserted that she had politely asked to go between the marshals because there was no room to go around them, that the marshals were rude to her, and that Webb laughed at her after his assault. 6 In re Disciplinary Proceeding Against Abele, No. 201,352-0 Officer Ritter interviewed Abele, Copeland, and Webb, and reviewed the security video. Ritter did not interview any other witnesses who were in the hallway during the incident. In reviewing the video, Ritter noted that Abele appeared to intentionally force herself into the 12 inch space between the two marshals, even though the remaining 8 feet of hallway was largely clear of visitors. He also noted that Abele had to turn sideways to pass between the marshals and that while virtually every portion of her body appeared to make contact with the marshals, she did not appear to stumble or fall. Ritter observed, however, that the video camera angle did not show Webb's seat position or his legs. Ritter concluded that the video did not support Abele's version of events because the hallway was not congested, as Abele alleged; the video did not show her tripping, stumbling, or reacting to the marshals as she passed between them; and none of the potential witnesses or other individuals in the hallway approached him or suggested that there was a problem with the marshals' behavior. The internal investigation was ultimately dismissed, and Marshal Webb received a letter stating that Abele's charge was not substantiated.