Man Gets 6 Months For Yawning

JOLIET, Ill. -- Drowsy spectators in one suburban Chicago courtroom might want to stifle their yawns from now on.Clifton Williams, 33, of Richton Park, is facing six months in jail for making what court documents call a yawn-like sound in Will County Judge Daniel Rozak's court last month. The yawn happened as Williams' cousin, Jason Mayfield, was being sentenced for a drug charge on July 23. Rozak found Williams in contempt of court and sentenced him to six months in jail. However, Rozak could free Williams after a status hearing Thursday, if Williams apologizes and the judge accepts. By then, Williams will have served 21 days. Witnesses disagree 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," Pelkie said. "It was not a guy who involuntarily yawned. This guy was making a statement -- a very loud statement -- in court."

Wait. WHAT!? Is that legal? Remind me to not drink and eat a hearty breakfast before my next court date. I mean when you gotta yawn, you gotta yawn. I'm trying to think back and I don't think I've ever been able to control a yawn or not. And they say this guy wasn't just yawning, he was making a statement. I'm sure he was. All he was saying was that you're boring and you suck at your job. This doesn't do anything but make me terrified to be myself in the state of Illinois