Judge Jails Convict's Mother for Laughing at Victim's Family in Courtroom

Legal proceedings, especially when associated with matters of serious crimes are not to be laughed at. Judge Qiana Lillard from Michigan made that very clear when she reprimanded two individuals, which included a short jail term for one, for displaying disrespectful behavior in her courtroom.

The Wayne County Circuit Court Judge gained worldwide attention in 2017 when she took to task two people from Amanda Kosal's family for laughing while Jerome Zirker's family was reading their victim impact statement, CBS News reported. Lillard was presiding over the sentencing hearing of Kosal who had admitted to the charge of causing Zirker's death by driving under the influence.

Kosal was arrested for driving drunk and killing Zirker as well as causing serious injuries to his fiance under the influence while crossing the centerline of Beech Daly Road near Plymouth Road on June 23, 2016, Click on Detroit reported. She eventually confessed to the charge of killing Zirker under the influence and appeared in front of Judge Lillard for her sentencing. 

During the sentencing in February 2017, Judge Lillard noted that two members of Kosal's family, a man and a woman, were reacting insensitively to the victim impact statements from Zirker's family, Click on Detroit reported. She wasted no time and called their laughing out.

"Whoever can sit here at a tragic moment like this and laugh and smile when somebody has lost a family member... in the entire time that Mr. Zirker’s sister was speaking, that clown -- and that’s what I am going to call him, a clown -- was sitting there smiling and laughing," said Lillard directed towards the man, Click on Detroit reported. "And you can go, too," the judge added, pointing to Amanda Kosal’s mother, Donna Kosal. "Because if you don’t know how to act, you can go to jail. So leave."

Donna Kosal was taken into custody straight from the proceedings, Click on Detroit reported. "Your disruptive and disrespectful behavior disrupted today's proceedings and you, ma'am, are going to the Wayne County Jail for 93 days," said Lillard. Kosal was sentenced to three to 15 years in prison for her charges. 

Donna appeared back in court a few days later, again in front of Lillard, and apologized for her actions, CBS News reported. She was allegedly sentenced to one day in jail, which was time served for her past actions in the courtroom.