Judge chastised for confiscating phone

ORLANDO, Fla., April 1 (UPI) -- A Florida juvenile court judge went too far when he found a woman in contempt because her cellphone rang in the courtroom, an appeals court ruled.

The appeals panel in Daytona said Michelle McRoy's ringing phone was "annoying" but that does not justify a finding of contempt, The Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported Thursday. The court said Circuit Judge Anthony Johnson provided no evidence for his contempt finding and a order that McRoy's phone should be confiscated.

"Contempt is an act tending to embarrass, hinder, or obstruct the court in the administration of justice, or to lessen the court's authority or dignity," the appeals court wrote in an opinion released Wednesday. "Contempt does not exist just because a judge feels aggrieved or vexed."

McRoy said she allowed her sister to use the phone outside the courtroom and forgot to check when she returned it whether it was turned off. She was in the Orange County courtroom last year because a juvenile relative was appearing in court.

She told the newspaper the judge "just went off" without giving her a chance to explain what happened. She said she hopes to get the phone back.