TIP: Middle Finger to Judge Probably Contempt of Court

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On the other hand (the first hand being my bad attitude about the Drone Memo), I would recommend showing respect to authority figures in certain situations. For example, let’s say you are at a bail hearing after being charged with drug possession. Not a great time to act like a giggly 18-year-old (even if you are one).

The video [update: now unavailable, sorry] is pretty self-explanatory, with maybe one exception. When the judge asked her how much her jewelry was worth, apparently after she claimed she couldn’t afford much in terms of bail, she refused to give him a number. After he asked her for the second or third time, reminding her that “this is not a joke,” she responded: “Like Rick Ross” (a.k.a. “Rick Ro$$,” a rapper who like most of them owns expensive bling). The judge didn’t know who that was, but he was already pissed off by then anyway.

She never did answer him about the jewelry, but it was the middle finger that triggered a 30-day sentence for contempt. She can go home (for a while) when she finishes that sentence, assuming her bling is worth at least $10,000.

UPDATE: The Miami Herald reports that the bird-flipper has apologized to the judge, also admitting that she was under the influence at the time of the hearing (which would explain the giggling). The judge then vacated the contempt sentence, saying that the experience “should be a lesson in how to properly treat people.” Especially when “people” includes the judge presiding over your bail hearing.