Attorney thrown in jail by judge after objecting to officer testimony

DETROIT (WJBK) - A Detroit area attorney found himself on the other side of the law, thrown in jail for contempt. 
    
It all started with objections and accusations during court testimony from a Detroit police officer. 

"When people have a dispute about facts in normal life, like when I dispute with my wife over something, we talk it out we argue it out," Jim Lawrence said. "But when it's with a judge, the judge throws you in jail."

Lawrence said he's used to getting people out of the clink, not getting put in it. But Judge Lydia Nance Adams held him in contempt of court Wednesday after they butted heads over a Detroit cop's testimony in a drug case.

He was testifying about stuff that was told to him by other officers instead of things he witnessed himself," he said. "I have a guy right now that I am handling on appeal that is doing life in prison because of that."

Lawrence made several objections during the officer's testimony. Judge Adams accused him of trying to ruin the cop's reputation.

Things got so tense, Lawrence says the judge laughed when he tried to strike the officer's testimony from the record and have him jailed for perjury.

Adams sent Lawrence to the Dickerson Detention Facility instead. 

FOX 2: "What was it like?"

The deputies were really professional," Lawrence said. "Some of the defendants were really nice they asked me a couple questions. One lucky gentleman got my sandwich.

FOX 2: "Did you give it to him or did he take it?"

"Oh no, I gave it to him," Lawrence said. "He didn't need to take it. When I heard I was getting out, I figured I didn't need to eat dinner and from what I heard, I wasn't missing that much."

All in all, Lawrence was in jail for a few hours. Some attorneys came up with $7500 to get him out. It is an amount almost unheard of when a lawyer is held in contempt of court. 

FOX 2 reached out to Judge Nance Adams--no response. Lawrence will be seeing her again next week.