‘Wreck-It-Ralph’ enters Stafford courtroom, leaves with no bond

An inmate had an outburst during a hearing inside Stafford County General District Court Judge Angela O’Connor’s courtroom.

The inmate flipped over a table when he learned he would not be granted bond, police said.

The Stafford sheriff’s office, which guards the courthouse, tells us:

An impromptu furniture rearrangement during open court this morning in Stafford County did not help an inmate’s request for release on bond.

This morning at 8:50 a.m., Desmine Newton, 29, was transported from the Rappahannock Regional Jail to the Stafford County General District Court for a bond hearing. Unhappy would be a severe understatement for Newton’s demeanor, when the judge ordered a status of no bond. Newton proceeded to unleash his inner Wreck-It Ralph and flipped over the wooden defendant’s table in the courtroom, while crying out a threat toward the judge.

While Newton broke the criminal law, he also perfectly illustrated Newton’s first law of motion. The table was at perfect rest until the force of Newton’s tantrum put the table in motion.

Newton was immediately restrained by Deputy C.E. Whited and Deputy R.A. Weatherholtz and escorted to the holding cell. There were no injuries during the outburst and the table suffered no damage.
Newton added two contempt charges to his criminal record and received 10 days in jail for each count.

Thank you to our deputies for restoring order to the court and protecting the judge.