A Florida judge was caught on camera berating a sick defendant over her breathing problems. However, things took an unexpected turn just a few days later. Now, the judge is the one in the hot seat.
Florida. Judge Merrilee Ehrlich was presiding over a case concerning Sandra Faye Twiggs, who was facing misdemeanor charges over a family dispute. Not a ground-breaking case, but it was important, nonetheless. The defendant, while in court, was having trouble breathing.
The judge was not interested in showing the wheelchair-bound defendant any sympathy. She cruelly berated the woman, dismissing her concerns over her health problems. As it turns out, Twiggs suffered from asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. After the harsh treatment in court, the defendant died three days later.
Video of the confrontation has been released online. People have speculated a connection between the judge’s treatment of the woman and her death. Now Judge Ehrlich has been relieved of duty. Most likely, for good.
It’s hard to say why the judge behaved the way she did. From the video, you can see Twiggs was not being difficult. Unlike many other defendants, she was not belligerent, rude, or dismissive of the proceedings. For some reason, Ehrlich quickly became annoyed by the defendant and shouted at her several times.