Regardless of what people think about this guy, when did it become a crime to e-mail a judge?
Asking your supporters to deliberately annoy a judge with bombardments of e-mail would easily qualify as contempt of court. But.........
This may not be what Trudeau really did, even though that is what the article makes it sound like. It sounds like he asked his supporters to write letters of support, to urge the judge to hear the positive side - from his happy customers.
[Federal Judge] Gettleman said the deluge of hundreds of e-mails began the middle of last week after Trudeau posted a message on his Web site saying "Kevin needs your voice." The posting went on to ask supporters to e-mail Gettleman, listed the judge's e-mail address and asked that followers tell the judge how Trudeau had improved their lives.
This too, is outside of the process of the court and is improper, but it is not as bad as the media spin. Trudeau was being stupid, but probably not disrespectful or intentionally provoking. Trudeau should have directed letters of support to his lawyer, who might have found a way to introduce them somehow (but I am not sure how).
Contempt of court? Well, I will invoke my constitutionally-protected first ammendment right of free speech to say
Judge Gettleman is being a little bit extreme here. The judge had other options. He could have ordered Trudeau to cease and desist, etc. but instead chose to lay the hammer down. The judge has huge discretion here.
To be clear, I am no Trudeau fan. I wish he would stop his infomercials.