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 After receiving the list, Gettleman could have told Weis' attorneys that it was no longer necessary that the superintendent come to court Monday.
But it was obvious from the criticism that lasted several minutes that Gettleman wanted Weis to stand before him and hear him describe Weis' defiance of his order with words like "contemptuous" and "absolutely intolerable."
Gettleman seemed particularly troubled that someone in law enforcement -- "You of all people," he said
-- would be willing to defy a judge's order.
The judge ordered the city to pay costs incurred by the defense attorneys who have for several months fought for the list as part of their lawsuit on behalf of a woman claiming an off-duty officer beat up her children while arresting them.
Weis was apologetic Monday, saying he was not trying to offend the judge. But he said his defiance of the judge's order
-- what he called one of the most difficult decisions he's ever made -- stemmed from concern for his officers.
Weis' argument has long been that turning the list over would hurt morale and distract officers at a time when they're faced with life-and-death situations.
He said he did not want officers who "have to make split-second decisions having any hesitation or being timid in any way wondering if an allegation, which may or not prove true, is made against them and they would be on a list," he told reporters after the hearing.
Even though there's a protective order that limits who sees the list to attorneys and others involved in the case, his concern was that the information could ultimately be released to the public.
Weis tried to downplay the judge's harsh words, calling the matter simply a "discovery dispute," and that he had turned over the list before Monday's deadline.
G. Flint Taylor, an attorney representing the woman, said he would ask for $50,000 in actual costs and another $50,000 as punishment for Weis' initial refusal to comply with the order.
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