(CN) - An attorney in an asbestos case was sentenced to a week in jail and fined $1,000 for grandstanding during a jury trial. Philadelphia County Judge James Lynn found John Langdoc, of Baron and Budd of Dallas, in contempt of court.
Langdoc's trouble started when he displayed a chart he created on the spot showing hourly fees of defense experts. After hearing objections and requests for a mistrial from other attorneys, Lynn cleared the courtroom.
During a conference with all the attorneys in the case, Lynn found that the chart was unfair, inaccurate and improperly introduced. Lynn originally declared a mistrial, but changed his mind and struck the exhibit.
He told the jurors there was a proper place to make the argument that Langdoc ineptly, improperly, illegally and disrespectfully tried to make. Lynn, who already had warned Langdoc about grandstanding, ordered him into custody after the last juror left.
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