FRESNO, Calif. -- World bubble-blowing champion Susan Montgomery Williams has gotten herself into a sticky situation.
Williams, 29, a mother of two, was convicted Monday on charges of disturbing a courtroom on Feb. 7 by popping her gum too loudly in a courthouse hallway.
Williams denied violating any law and contends the court bailiffs who arrested her were simply irritated by the 'crackling' of her gum.
Bailiffs Richard Wilhoite and Dana Crittenden testified last Friday the noise made by Williams was comparable to a .38 caliber pistol going off, a 'crackling' sound like static electricity, or the sound of 'banging on a garbage can with a metal hammer.'
The judge and court reporter in the courtroom in question testified they heard nothing untoward on the day Williams was arrested, but Municipal Judge Michael Feinberg fined her $150, gave her a 30-day suspended sentence and placed her on probation for two years.
'I guess I just must have made a new law for the lawbooks,' Williams said. 'No gum popping. Don't snap, crackle or pop unless you want to stop a cop.'
Williams said she will appeal her conviction, and added, 'I was willing to show them (the court) the difference between 'crackle' and 'pop.' When I 'pop,' it is loud, but I know better than to do it inside.'
Williams is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for blowing a record bubble of 22 inches in 1985. She said she has blown a 26-inch bubble in practice and plans to attempt another record in Las Vegas next month.
Welcome to 'murder capital of the world'
DETROIT (UPI) -- A Michigan Blue Cross-Blue Shield executive caused a stir by pulling out a toy gun and telling out-of-town guests at a business meeting: 'Welcome to Detroit, murder capital of the world.'
The incident at last week's opening of a two-day meeting of finance executives from Blue Cross operations around the country was reported Monday by the Detroit Free Press.
The crack was made by Dennis Weiss, director of national accounting for Blue Cross, who oversees a staff of 64 in Detroit.
Weiss's boss, Brenda Ball, Michigan Blue Cross controller and vice president, said she and about five members of her staff saw Weiss pull the stunt.
'I made it clear that neither Blue Cross nor myself considers these kinds of remarks appropriate,' Ball said. 'Negative statements hurt the city and damage our image as a corporation.'
Weiss has been ordered to write to participants at the meeting and tell them positive things about Detroit, Ball said.
Free Press columnist Susan Watson, who reported the incident, wrote that the joke was not only in bad taste, but factually wrong. Washington, D.C., last year edged out Detroit as the major U.S. city with the highest murder rate.
'Of course, being first runner-up, or even second runner-up, is nothing to brag about,' she wrote. 'It's a disgrace. And in a city where scores of youngsters are shot to death each year, you don't use murder jokes to start a meeting with a bang.'
