Paulette Luke, who snapped photographs of herself and a cousin in a city courtroom where a trial was underway, was yesterday ordered to pay a fine of $15,000 or face two weeks in jail.
Magistrate Ann McLennan imposed the fine after Luke, a 38-year-old pastry chef of 240 Twelfth Street, Dazzell Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara, accepted that on August 11, she took photos of herself in a courtroom.
Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield said that Luke was in Georgetown Magistrates’ Court Five, where a trial was in session, when she was observed by Magistrate Fabayo Azore and ranks in the courtroom taking photos with her cellphone. Mansfield said that the woman was subsequently arrested.
An apologetic Luke explained that her cousin had a matter before the magistrate and that her aunt, who resides overseas, asked her to attend court and give her feedback.
Luke said that before entering the courtroom she noticed a sign, which said “turn off all cell phones before entering.”
According to her, she turned down the volume of her cellular phone and entered and later began taking photographs of her cousin, behind whom she was seated.
Begging for the court’s lenience, Luke said that it was her first time at court and she did not know the rules or what was required of her.
Magistrate McLennan, however, pointed out to Luke that she had to have known that taking photos in the courtroom was prohibited as she herself admitted seeing the sign which directed that cell phones should be turned off before entering the courtroom.
It was at this point that Luke again said that she “volume-down” the device.
The Magistrate, however, sternly instructed her that the use of cell phones in the courtroom is strictly prohibited and that turning the volume of the cell phone down is not the same as turning it off.
After the magistrate asked the unrepresented Luke if she had anything to say in mitigation that would cause the court not to impose the maximum penalty against her, the woman accepted the court’s reasoning.
She threw herself at the court’s mercy, stating that she is financially incapable of affording a hefty fine if the court were to so impose and she begged not to be imprisoned.
She apologised to the court for her actions and also pointed out that she had apologised to Magistrate Azore.
Magistrate McLennan subsequently imposed the fine and also ordered the police to delete every photo which the woman took in the courtroom.
