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Woman Found Guilty for Laughing at Jeff Sessions Faces Year in Prison

Woman Found Guilty for Laughing at Jeff Sessions Faces Year in Prison
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Nevertheless, She Snickered

May 3rd, 2017 – This is no joke – a woman may face jail time for laughing at Jeff Sessions during his Senate confirmation back in January. Code Pink activist Desiree Fairooz attended the hearing for now Attorney General Sessions and reacted with laughter when Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) introduced the controversial nominee by saying his history showed “treating all Americans equally under the law is clear and well-documented.”

Sessions’ voting history, his critiques of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and his denial of a federal judgeship in 1986 were highlighted by people protesting his nomination. He voted against hate crime legislation seeking to protect members of the LGBTQ community saying “Today, I’m not sure women or people with different sexual orientations face that kind of discrimination. I just don’t see it.” He also said he believed the Ku Klux Klan was OK until he learned its members smoked marijuana – Sessions later claimed this was simply a joke.

Federal prosecutors don’t seem to be interpreting Senator Shelby’s introduction as a joke and therefore classified Fairooz’s laughter as “‘disorderly and disruptive conduct’ intended to ‘impede, disrupt, and disturb the orderly conduct’ of congressional proceedings.”

Fairooz’s defense combats these charges by saying her laughter was merely a reflex. She was reacting to the moment and did not have any planned intention to disrupt the hearing. They also focus on her placement in the room and conclude that with her being in the back of the room her laughter had seemingly no impact.

David Stier, a Justice Department attorney arguing for the prosecution in the D.C. Superior Court, said “A number of heads turned around because it was loud. I would submit that laughter is enough, standing alone,” to warrant a charge.

Woman Found Guilty for Laughing at Jeff Sessions Faces Year in Prison

Fairooz, a 61-year-old long-time activist, admits to using disruptive tactics in the past. While protesting the Iraq War, she used fake blood on her hands and confronted then–Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. This incident of laughter, however, is deemed by her attorneys as “totally spontaneous,” “unintentional,” and could “barely” be heard on the C-SPAN coverage.

Fairooz was joined by two other members of the group Code Pink, Tighe Barry and Lenny Bianchi, at the hearing, and they were dressed in Ku Klux Klan gear pretending to be Sessions supporters. Fairooz claims her only vocal disruption came while being escorted out of the hearing by Capital police. “I was going to be quiet and now you’re going to have me arrested?” she said. “For what? For what? He said something ridiculous. [Sessions’] voting record is evil.”

Fairooz faces a fine of up to $500 and up to six months in prison for cackle-gate. She is also charged with another misdemeanor for “allegedly parading, demonstrating or picketing within a Capitol, evidently for her actions after she was being escorted from the room.”

*UPDATE: Fairooz was found guilty on two counts: one for engaging in “disorderly or disruptive conduct” with the intent to disrupt congressional proceedings and a another count for parading, demonstrating or picketing. “She did not get convicted for laughing. It was her actions as she was being asked to leave,” a jury foreperson said.

Do you think laughter inside a confirmation hearing is grounds for prosecution? Will the free speech crowd be on Fairooz’s side? Give us your thoughts!

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122 thoughts on “Woman Found Guilty for Laughing at Jeff Sessions Faces Year in Prison”

  1. Pingback: On laughter, authority and unruliness – Unruly Politics

    1. this isnt what happened get ur facts straight. She was told to leave because its illegal to disrupt confirmations.She objected and started making a scene and resisting and yelling. This is why she was arrested and convicted. She had been arrested before for previous incidents which is why she was actually convicted

  8. this isnt what happened get ur facts straight. She was told to leave because its illegal to disrupt confirmations.She objected and started making a scene and resisting and yelling. This is why she was arrested and convicted. She had been arrested before for previous incidents which is why she was actually convicted

    2. Michelle either way She was objecting to being removed and was making a scene. she was makign a scene and refused to leave so she was forced to.

    4. Jeremy Marshall she wasn’t illegally removed. She was laughing purposefully making a scene and disruption and there are actually laws against disrupting a swearing in of a senator. She was asked to leave because she wouldnt stop. She refused more than once so shew as removed.

    6. Cale Fornili im defending the government instead of someone who is breaking the law so im a coward? im defend citizens right. Because jeff sessions whether you like it or not is a citizen. There is no right to resisting arrest or not listening to police.

    3. Bryan Daubney You reading all this fake shit and thinking “we are so doomed” when everything is fine. Everyone is twisting stories.

    1. she wasnt arrested for that. and just btw ou bring up race so you are a fucking racist. If he was black noone would say he was black trash

  22. Federal prosecutors don’t seem to be interpreting Senator Shelby’s introduction as a joke and therefore classified Fairooz’s laughter as “‘disorderly and disruptive conduct’ intended to ‘impede, disrupt, and disturb the orderly conduct’ of congressional proceedings.”Fairooz’s defense combats these charges by saying her laughter was merely a reflex. She was reacting to the moment and did not have any planned intention to disrupt the hearing. They also focus on her placement in the room and conclude that with her being in the back of the room her laughter had seemingly no impact.(aka) she laughed at the wrong place at the wrong time. Much like disrupting a courtroom .

  36. Lets clarify something, CNN and FOX both say the thing.. she was charge with yelling and resisting the police upon being dismissed.. NOT for laughing. no outburst are allowed in court. Pretty simple rule.

    1. It says she in the article she wasnt in trouble for laughing out but rather for the way they acted when they was asked to leave

  47. Who wrote this garbage? This is trash. At the very end of the article the writer quotes a jury foreperson saying “she didn’t convicted for laughing. It was her action as she was being asked to leave.” The poses the question “is laughing during a congressional hearing grounds for prosecution?” Are you people nuts?

    1. But, without being accused of disruptive behavior from laughing she would not have been asked to leave in the first place.

    2. What is your point? You think the first amendment covers disruption? It doesn’t. Lots of people every year get asked to leave lots of venues for being disruptive.

  49. Are people so fucking stupid they don’t see what’s happening like in Europe a title wave of migrant men who should be home fighting for their own country instead of being nothing but trouble,it’s not like it was in the old days wake up

    1. Did you actually read the article or did u just decide to read the headline with out knowing the story and came on here conplaining about something that you obviously dont know the story to

    2. I’ve read several articles about it. So I actually do know what I’m talking about. However I’m guessing you don’t.

    1. I know right we are slowly turning into an Islamic cess pool. Soon we will start stoning women for being in public without a man. And execute anyone we don’t seem fit. We are definitely on a dark path

    2. Did you guys even read the full article. It said they wasnt arrested for laughing out rather they are in trouble for the way they acted when they was asked to leave

    3. Kelly Bond cause Republicans are the true snowflakes that cry when someone heckles them and instead of acting gracefully and with dignity like Obama. They treat you like united airlines and drag your ass out Then make up fake charges. She left. Yes she did hold up a sign and speak the truth loudly as she was being forced out.

    4. Are you being ironic?lol. You don’t like what I said, so I should go? Don’t I have the right to say It? I have no sympathy for these idiots. Our country is being rape by refugees to the point that states can’t even fix issues. Then you these morons lobbying to let more in….fuck that.

    6. They weren’t speaking out on inequality. They were protesting Sessions and lobbying for more refugees. Sorry, that’s not inequality.

    7. Yeeeah, we don’t take in no refugees, we save ’em by bombing the shit outta em! Food, water, shelter? Nah, eat this bomb, ya Al Qaida snowflake fag communist libtard, Murica

    8. Chris Payne everyone here is a refugee. Wish they wouldn’t have let your family in. Chris walk your ass onto a reservation and ask for permission to stay. If they say no pack your bags and leave. Just using your own dumb ass logic against you.

    9. Daryl Schorr I’m no refugee. I don’t know about you but I was born in this country. And it doesn’t fucking matter where my ancestors came from 10 god damn generations ago.

    11. Chris Payne. This country took in your family and look what a fucking looser you turned out to be. Me I’d rather have the refugees.

    12. No, my grandmother is full blooded native and my other grandmother legally migrated here. Soooo…what you were saying about all of us being refugees?

    13. Chris. So tell me if the native people of this country told you to leave. WOULD YOU BE A MAN AND LEAVE OR A SNOWFLAKE AND CRY AND BITCH.

    16. Chris Payne. Legally. Did she march her ass onto a reservation and ask. Or ask the natives THAT WOULD HAVE TOLD HER ASS TI GO THE FUCK BACK WHERE SHE CAME FROM. YOU SAY LEGALLY GET IT RIGHT. I SAY SHE CAME AND DIDNT CARE WHAT WAS DONE TO NATIVE AMERICANS HOW THE LAND WAS OBTAINED. WHO WAS MURDERED.

    17. Chris. So easy to say your native. No way to prove it. JUST SAY IT YOUR AFRAID THEY WOULD TELL YOU TO LEAVE SNOWFLAKE.

    18. I for one am proud and grateful to be here and know it is a privilege. WHAT WOULD GIVE ME OR YOU THE RIGHT TO DENI THAT TO ANYONE THAT WANTED TO COME HERE. THE ONLY RACE THAT DOESNT HAVE TO GO THRU EXTREME VETTING ARE PEOPLE WITH WHITE SKIN. DOES THAT SEEM FAIR?

    19. IM SO PROUD IM FIGHTING FOR EVERYONE. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT. BUT YOU THINK SOMEONE YOU DONT AGREE WITH SHOULD BE SHIPPED OFF TO A WAR ZONE. YOU SIR ARE A PATHETIC PERSON AND A POOR AMERICAN.

    20. That seems completely fair. My ancestors came here a hundred years ago completely legally and has had a member from every generation fight in each war. My family earned our place here legally at a time when it benefited our new country and the world. Mass immigration only hurts our country, the country the immigrants are leaving from, and illegal immigration helps no one..

    25. Anyone ever notice that ever since countries took in these refugees terror attacks have sky rockets. While ones that did not are relatively peaceful. With shipments of refugees ( terrorist) comes in the ship contains 95 percent of men between the ages of 16 n 32. Like really ships come in with refugees with 500 people on board but with only 10 women. If they were refugees why are they leaving the women and children in these war torn area .

    26. Daryl, bro…you need a hobby! Or a girlfriend! You sat on this post for 4 straight hours speaking nonsense.lmao! Oh shit, my bad…I didn’t mean to assume you sexual preference or identify! I know how you people get all up in arms over that shit.

    27. Chris Payne. Sad. Is that the best you have. But then again after your very first comment on this post I thought you might have a little more intelligence. I WAS WRONG. You must have went to the bigly school with Trump.

    28. Schorr
      If we are all refugees (not true at all no one came for aid or support they came for land and took it) where did we personal run from?
      Did you flee some communist country?
      Or flee a country in the Middle East? I know most of us haven’t
      So I don’t know why people keep saying that they’re refugees when they’ve never ran from people willing to murder them or a dirt poor country

    29. I wouldn’t deny going to school with Trump. It would explain why we’re both successful people. Thanks, I’ll take that as a compliment! I wasn’t trying to “school you Daryl, although you do need taught some things, obviously. Just pointing out the obvious.

    3. By your logic, “give her the chair” for what she’s done, it makes Dennis comment applicable. Would make the same amount of sense for someone to say give you the chair for wiping your ass. J/s

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