Las Vegas juvenile judge orders teen to strip

[Nevernose]

Hearing master's orders left teen in his underwear during court proceedings
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/Aug-28-Sat-2004/news/24644034.html

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A videotape released Friday shows a Family Court official ordering a teen to disrobe in open court because she didn't like a T-shirt he was wearing.

On the tape, Hearing Master Sylvia Beller is heard telling the 16-year-old boy to take his shirt off during his Aug. 6 sentencing on a graffiti charge.

"Take your shirt off," Beller said. "You can just walk out of here without a shirt on."

The boy takes off his shirt, and Beller orders a bailiff to take the boy into custody. The boy is handcuffed, and then Beller tells the bailiff to remove the boy's belt from his pants.

"You might as well take the belt and let his pants fall off," Beller said. "You are going to take the belt anyway.

"Take the belt," Beller said. "Get rid of that belt. He can just walk back there (to jail) holding his pants up."

The bailiff tells Beller that if the belt is removed, the boy's pants might fall down because he is in handcuffs.

"Oh well," Beller said. "Take him back. I don't want him in here anymore."

The boy's belt is removed, and his pants fall to the ground, leaving him standing in open court in his underwear. The boy spent the next four days in jail.

Contacted Friday, Public Defender Phil Kohn said Beller should be removed from office.

"I was appalled by it," Kohn said. "The humiliation of getting this boy down to his boxer shorts is indefensible."

Kohn, whose office represented the teen, said Beller has a reputation among lawyers as someone who is verbally abusive to both defendants and litigants.

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Voy said in court Friday the teen's only criminal history consists of misdemeanor offenses.

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On a persoanl note, I've worked in this lady's courtroom -- total freaking psycho. Little regard for a defendant's rights, little regard for legal procedure. The article cites her as being a known menace to Defendants; it neglects to mention that she is a known menace to law enforcement (namely probation, parole, police, and District Attorney's office) as well.

And, if he got this far in the process, he's probably a little monster and deserved at least a few days in jail. No one deserves to be humiliated, though.