Judge Sentences Man 10 Days Per Word

[March 27, 2008]  MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- A man has talked himself into nearly two years in jail after threatening to kill a Shelby County criminal court judge. Joshua Beadle has been held in contempt and sentenced to 10 days per word after a judge ordered him to stop the threatening comments.

Judge Lee Coffee stopped counting at 70 words and sentenced Beadle to 700 days in jail.

Beadle was shackled and outfitted in a special hooded spit mask during the hearing Monday after spitting at the judge at a hearing in January. Beadle missed the judge and instead hit a clerk's computer.

Through his nylon-and-mesh spit mask, he apologized to the clerk on Monday and assured her that his intended target was the judge.

Beadle was appearing in court on burglary and rape charges.

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Information from: The Commercial Appeal, http://www.commercialappeal.com/

[Associated Press]

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