Man gets six months for yawning in court

A US man was handed a six-month jail sentence after yawning in court.

Clifton Williams, 33, made his faux pas in Will County Judge Daniel Rozak’s court in Joliet, Indiana last month.

The yawn happened as Williams’ cousin, Jason Mayfield, was being sentenced for a drug charge on July 23.

Judge Rozak found Williams in contempt of court and sentenced him to six months in jail.

However, the judge could free Williams after a status hearing tomorrow, if Williams apologises and the judge accepts it. By then, Williams will have served 21 days.

Witnesses disagreed about whether Williams’ yawn was out of line.

Charles Pelkie, spokesman for the Will County state’s attorney’s office, said the prosecutor in the courtroom at the time told him that what came out of Williams’ mouth could hardly be called a “yawn”.

“This was a very loud, boisterous, deliberate attempt on the part of this individual to disrupt the proceedings and show disrespect to the court,” Mr Pelkie said.

“It was not a guy who involuntarily yawned. This guy was making a statement - a very loud statement – in court.”

Mayfield disagreed, saying it was “not an outrageous yawn”. Williams has written his family to say that he can’t believe he’s in jail “for nothing”.

Six months is the maximum sentence judges can give for criminal contempt without a jury trial.