Man charged in anti-Semitic incident at Jewish daycare moons judge
A man who was charged in an anti-Semitic incident at a Jewish daycare has mooned a judge.
Hassan Chokr appeared in court on Monday for a virtual emergency bond motion hearing in light of resisting arrest in Wayne County, Michigan, when he dropped his trousers in front of Judge Regina Thomas.
After the Midwestern man exposed himself during the online appearance, the court revoked his bond, reports FOX 2.
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Chokr was out on bond when he was reported to shout anti-Semitic comments outside a childcare setting in West Bloomfield, Michigan, last Friday.
During the hearing, the prosecutor stated that Chokr was ‘posting videos and statements on Instagram where he talks about buying guns’.
“In one of his Instagram posts, the defendant says, ‘your Jew tactics will only backfire on you, you have no place on this earth, Jew [profanity], Jew motherf***er. A storm is coming to wipe you all out of our lives,’” the prosecutor allegedly stated.
Chokr, who stated that he was taking the Fifth Amendment, became visibility annoyed an started shouting and pointing at the camera during the hearing.
Judge Thomas said that the court muted Chokr’s microphone during his sudden burst of anger.
Thomas said: “I want the record to reflect that while the court has muted the defendant’s microphone, he appears to be yelling and pointing at the camera at the Oakland County Jail.
“And now he has removed his pants to show the court his backside.”
Meanwhile, lawyer Duane Johnson stated that he wanted to record Chokr’s defence, while the judge asked whether they might assess the defendant’s mental health.
Thomas said: “You can go ahead and make a record, but he seems to be mentally ill, quite frankly.
“I don’t know why anyone would think it is appropriate to pull down his pants and show the court their behind during a court proceeding.”
Johnson added that a mental health checkup for the defendant ‘probably would be a good thing’, while he claimed that Chokr was simply expressing his freedom of speech, or the First Amendment, through the act.
Judge Thomas, however, refused to allow this argument, adding: “We are free to say whatever we want to say, but we are not free from the consequences.
“So if we are doing things that are unsafe, and we are infringing on other people’s rights, we don’t get to do and say anything we want to without the consequences of those actions. That’s where your client finds himself today.”
“He exercised his right, and I am exercising my right to give him a consequence for that. Nothing that any of us do in this life is without consequence,” the judge ruled.
Thomas also addressed claims that Chokr infringed on private property and harassed women and children, and said that the court was concerned that he could be a threat to the community.
If you are the victim of an antisemitic incident or you have information regarding an antisemitic incident that happened to somebody else, contact the CST National Emergency Number on 0800 032 3263. In an emergency, always call 999.
Gabriella Ferlita