Disorder in the Court: Great Fractured Moments in Courtroom History [Paperback]

Charles M. Sevilla (Author), Lee Lorenz (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 17, 1999

In America's courtooms, the verdict is laughter.

Sit back and enjoy a collection of verbatim exchanges from the halls of justice, where defendants and plaintiffs, lawyers and witnesses, juries and judges, collide to produce memorably insane comedy.

The Court: The charge here is theft of frozen chickens. Are you the defendant, sir?
Defendant: No, sir, I'm the guy who stole the chickens.

Attorney: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
Witness: He said, 'Where am I, Cathy?'
Attorney: And why did that upset you?
Witness: My name is Susan!

Attorney: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
Witness: Oral…

Attorney: What is your date of birth?
Witness: July 18th.
Attorney: What year?
Witness: Every year.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Misstatements from the courtroom--legalese marred by malapropisms, slips of the tongue, eccentric interpretations and profanities--are gleefully quoted in this compilation.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“Court legalese, often combined with malapropisms and slips of the tongue in exchanges between judges, lawyers, plaintiffs, defendants and eccentric jurors, is gleefully quoted here…Readers will undoubtedly cull their own favorites from this irreverent sampling of 'justice' in action.” (Publishers Weekly)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 255 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; Reprint edition (August 17, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393319288
• ISBN-13: 978-0393319286
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,052 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > Law > Legal History
  • #3 in Books > Law > Rules & Procedures > Courts
  • #4 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Humor > Lawyers & Criminals

More About the Author

Charles M. Sevilla is in a private law practice in San Diego. His collection of humor in law books include "Disorder in the Court" and "Disorderly Conduct."

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 70 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read and very funny too! January 19, 2000

By Michael J Woznicki HALL OF FAME

Format:Paperback

When I decide to review a book, I try to pick subject that interest me and law is one of those subjects. This book has very little to with the practice of law and very much to do with the lighter side of the law. It will entertain you for hours as you read through the pages.

In just over 250 pages you will find some of the funniest things ever said in a courtroom. You'll read what lawyers; witnesses, jurors, judges, defendants and plaintiffs have said if you pay attention you'll find yourself on the ground laughing.

A book that took just one hour to complete from cover to cover has provided a very bright start to the New Year. The sidesplitting questions and answers are sure to make everyone laugh. A certain must have for everyone in the legal field.

Written by a practicing lawyer and taken from actual court transcripts you'll get a first hand look at not so serious side of the system of jurisprudence. Congratulations on a job well done! This book makes a great gift for those hard to buy people as well.

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Goofy Things Said in Court December 4, 2006

By Virginia Allain

Format:Paperback

The book is a collection of things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down by court reporters. It must be tough to record some of these exchanges without laughing out loud. Fun reading for anyone, but if you have a friend who's a lawyer or a judge, it might be the perfect gift for them.

Here are some samples from the book:

ATTORNEY: What is your date of birth?

WITNESS: July 18th.

ATTORNEY: What year?

WITNESS: Every year.

_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: How old is your son, the one living with you?

WITNESS: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which.

ATTORNEY: How long has he lived with you?

WITNESS: Forty-five years.

_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband

said to you that morning?

WITNESS: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"

ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?

WITNESS: My name is Susan.

______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a

person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?

WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?

____________________________________

ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-one-year-old, how old is he?

WITNESS: Uh, he's twenty-one

________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?

WITNESS: Would you repeat the question?

______________________________________

ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby)

was August 8th?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?

WITNESS: Uh....

______________________________________

ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: How many were boys?

WITNESS: None.

ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?

______________________________________

ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?

WITNESS: By death.

ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Disorder in the Review April 30, 2003

By Tacie Himelright

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

The 2nd book of 2 by Charles M. Sevilla that takes a humorous look at the goings on in courtrooms around the country. I'm sure that a lot of you have gotten the e-mail with excerpts from this book (which is what prompted me to buy the book and the 1st "Disorderly Conduct"). I enjoyed this book and got some chuckles out loud. Anyone in or around the legal professions should find this book amusing. Amusing illustrations illuminate some of the quotes. There are bits of this book that are more amusing than others, but what I find amusing you may not. I still feel that there is enough in this book to make everyone smile (if not chuckle). An interesting addition to this book are the names and cities of the people who submitted the quotes to Mr. Sevilla (there was even one from my home town of West Chester). Which I guess now would be a good time to add - the author originally wrote a column that used this type of humor (and quotes) prompting people from around the country to start sending him their additions. After a while he had enough for 2 books. Over all this is a good book. It would be great for the beach - pick it up, put it down and pick it up again, no worrying about loosing your place in the story.