{"id":118522,"date":"2025-05-09T15:28:37","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T23:28:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/05\/09\/amateur-comedian-judge-faces-ethics-complaints-over-groan-inducing-dad-jokes\/"},"modified":"2025-05-09T15:28:37","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T23:28:37","slug":"amateur-comedian-judge-faces-ethics-complaints-over-groan-inducing-dad-jokes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/05\/09\/amateur-comedian-judge-faces-ethics-complaints-over-groan-inducing-dad-jokes\/","title":{"rendered":"Amateur Comedian Judge Faces Ethics Complaints Over Groan-Inducing \u2018Dad Jokes\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"137\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/06\/01-angry-judge-feature.jpg?resize=200%2C137&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-111085\" title=\"\"><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There are only two responses to a truly phenomenal dad joke: frustration and a knee-slapping gigglefest. Don\u2019t believe me? Listen to this <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/CYVBfaot8tU?si=G7SDufZ3DuxYFw9G&amp;t=30\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dad Joke compilation <\/a>with your office door open and see what happens. That said, there is a time and a place for humor \u2014 the courtroom is not one of them. A lawyer recently got in trouble for <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/04\/dragon-lawyers-ordered-by-judge-to-stop-watermarking-their-complaint-with-huge-suit-wearing-dragon\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">watermarking his briefs with a purple-suited anthropomorphized dragon<\/a>. The judge took him to task for making light of the seriousness a courtroom should be approached with. Things may have fared better for the Dragon Lawyers if they submitted the complaint to Judge Gary M. Farmer Jr. He seems a little more partial to some levity in the courtroom. For some, that\u2019s the problem. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abajournal.com\/web\/article\/there-was-in-fact-a-defendant-named-jaques-strapp-says-judge-defending-his-corny-dad-jokes\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ABA Journal <\/a>has coverage:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Judge Gary M. Farmer Jr. of Broward County, Florida, said in a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.abajournal.com\/files\/FarmerAnswer.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">May 6 response<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.abajournal.com\/files\/FarmerCharges.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ethics charges<\/a>\u00a0his remarks were intended \u201cto lighten tension, reduce stress for criminal defendants and show a sense of humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The response acknowledged, however, that some comments \u201cwere somewhat racy and, upon reflection, were inappropriate.\u201d Farmer said he takes full responsibility for the remarks, and he apologizes for them. He \u201chas taken these lessons to heart\u201d and has refrained from jokes since the filing of the ethics complaint, according to the response.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Judge Gary framed his comments as G-rated dad jokes. References to parentage were definitely made, but he may want to brush up on how movies get rated. Read the following joke he made to a defendant with three kids on the way and determine for yourself if it would look out of place in Toy Story or Finding Nemo: <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve been busy,\u201d Farmer said. \u201cYou were just shooting all over the place. \u2026 I\u2019m going to order that you wear a condom at all times. It\u2019s for your own good. Probation\u2019s gonna check. No, I\u2019m kidding.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>This joke, along with many of the other ones mentioned in the complaint, are so bad that I wish someone would just tell the guy to focus on his day job. Thankfully, one attorney had the heart to do it on our behalf in this exchange:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>[Judge Farmer] asked a lawyer whether he was a fan of\u00a0<em>The Flintstones<\/em>. \u201cThey don\u2019t like it in Dubai, though. I don\u2019t know, but the people of Abu Dhabi do,\u201d Farmer said. The attorney replied, \u201cDon\u2019t give up your day job.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>I\u2019m sure it stings for a series of ethics complaints to be how you discovered that you aren\u2019t nearly as funny as you thought you were, but the message appears long overdue. If you\u2019re going to be a comic, have enough heart to do it at a venue where your audience doesn\u2019t have to worry about laughing hard enough to get a favorable verdict. As for everyone else, as much as I would generally recommend going the extra mile and reading the rest of the jokes in question. I know not every joke can be a winner, but with the number he told, you\u2019d hope that at least one of them would be! You\u2019d be better off buying a small container of Laffy Taffys and committing the jokes to memory.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abajournal.com\/web\/article\/there-was-in-fact-a-defendant-named-jaques-strapp-says-judge-defending-his-corny-dad-jokes\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u2018There Was In Fact A Defendant Named Jaques Strapp,\u2019 Says Judge Defending His Corny \u2018Dad Jokes\u2019<\/a> [ABA Journal]<a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/05\/californias-bar-exam-fiasco-enters-next-stage-of-stupid\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/02\/aba-suspends-dei-accreditation-requirements-for-law-schools\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2024\/10\/lawyer-conflicts-create-more-delay-in-murdered-law-professor-case\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"620\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/06\/Williams-620x620.jpg?resize=620%2C620&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-80320\" title=\"\"><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord\u2122 in the Facebook group\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo\/?fbid=10222912314148913&amp;set=p.10222912314148913&amp;opaqueCursor=AboVBPzRKh4loie1LupyI7ltSvsaUWxURlMk_338xXb_BPhzMNPHbWfVDUsOyUH1mfvHQ4Bsipef989J-V0OyqhMZzHPafTw49vttxDh_no8xymRSSUssmh47qTzHAc13R0wzk8nPhgSylnSAYcBNbHjYDqZDqy5r0f7PwzCZw9T-0cakKMIin3XI0O8R5H5OJGAu4kJjGPAoZpgL6woU9lwoHiAjxAwAlpmdlyt6vHLJ1TVn2srkC3G4qBW5ANthJ_YNT3BUPCu2vu1ZIxiqYwXGLfMIxQR4cllUaB0Cja74ln1FHs3n-xyHe6MDtxln0-F4QJchox9nCaivB_xmSxw3FduERhPebhWj1MKJ20jeucGZ64jY6DdUn2d87dVgNlFE5qHvNEtfMpoEKx1096oFfqbZ9s71YVsbXxLIsRiiW54eLp4R7z3WHAKu8v8xeLIZt86UVU1iOaSlJ0n5tT3_VonQT6n2F0sIUSLY272cI-yjWxaUIr0Qj-1NQDFFcn9dkq8pYV2-o0M3LK2Qhr9LKt-Bk4MTGUZCkb4Kw6mgDmRCux3nhJqd2hdLd8LgTA\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Law School Memes for Edgy T14s<\/a>. \u00a0He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who is learning to swim,\u00a0is interested in critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:cwilliams@abovethelaw.com\">cwilliams@abovethelaw.com<\/a>\u00a0and by tweet at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WritesForRent\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@WritesForRent<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/05\/amateur-comedian-judge-faces-ethics-complaints-over-groan-inducing-dad-jokes\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Amateur Comedian Judge Faces Ethics Complaints Over Groan-Inducing \u2018Dad Jokes\u2019<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"137\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/06\/01-angry-judge-feature.jpg?resize=200%2C137&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-111085\" title=\"\"><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There are only two responses to a truly phenomenal dad joke: frustration and a knee-slapping gigglefest. Don\u2019t believe me? Listen to this <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/CYVBfaot8tU?si=G7SDufZ3DuxYFw9G&amp;t=30\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dad Joke compilation <\/a>with your office door open and see what happens. That said, there is a time and a place for humor \u2014 the courtroom is not one of them. A lawyer recently got in trouble for <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/04\/dragon-lawyers-ordered-by-judge-to-stop-watermarking-their-complaint-with-huge-suit-wearing-dragon\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">watermarking his briefs with a purple-suited anthropomorphized dragon<\/a>. The judge took him to task for making light of the seriousness a courtroom should be approached with. Things may have fared better for the Dragon Lawyers if they submitted the complaint to Judge Gary M. Farmer Jr. He seems a little more partial to some levity in the courtroom. For some, that\u2019s the problem. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abajournal.com\/web\/article\/there-was-in-fact-a-defendant-named-jaques-strapp-says-judge-defending-his-corny-dad-jokes\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ABA Journal <\/a>has coverage:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Judge Gary M. Farmer Jr. of Broward County, Florida, said in a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.abajournal.com\/files\/FarmerAnswer.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">May 6 response<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.abajournal.com\/files\/FarmerCharges.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ethics charges<\/a>\u00a0his remarks were intended \u201cto lighten tension, reduce stress for criminal defendants and show a sense of humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The response acknowledged, however, that some comments \u201cwere somewhat racy and, upon reflection, were inappropriate.\u201d Farmer said he takes full responsibility for the remarks, and he apologizes for them. He \u201chas taken these lessons to heart\u201d and has refrained from jokes since the filing of the ethics complaint, according to the response.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Judge Gary framed his comments as G-rated dad jokes. References to parentage were definitely made, but he may want to brush up on how movies get rated. Read the following joke he made to a defendant with three kids on the way and determine for yourself if it would look out of place in Toy Story or Finding Nemo: <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve been busy,\u201d Farmer said. \u201cYou were just shooting all over the place. \u2026 I\u2019m going to order that you wear a condom at all times. It\u2019s for your own good. Probation\u2019s gonna check. No, I\u2019m kidding.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>This joke, along with many of the other ones mentioned in the complaint, are so bad that I wish someone would just tell the guy to focus on his day job. Thankfully, one attorney had the heart to do it on our behalf in this exchange:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>[Judge Farmer] asked a lawyer whether he was a fan of\u00a0<em>The Flintstones<\/em>. \u201cThey don\u2019t like it in Dubai, though. I don\u2019t know, but the people of Abu Dhabi do,\u201d Farmer said. The attorney replied, \u201cDon\u2019t give up your day job.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>I\u2019m sure it stings for a series of ethics complaints to be how you discovered that you aren\u2019t nearly as funny as you thought you were, but the message appears long overdue. If you\u2019re going to be a comic, have enough heart to do it at a venue where your audience doesn\u2019t have to worry about laughing hard enough to get a favorable verdict. As for everyone else, as much as I would generally recommend going the extra mile and reading the rest of the jokes in question. I know not every joke can be a winner, but with the number he told, you\u2019d hope that at least one of them would be! You\u2019d be better off buying a small container of Laffy Taffys and committing the jokes to memory.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abajournal.com\/web\/article\/there-was-in-fact-a-defendant-named-jaques-strapp-says-judge-defending-his-corny-dad-jokes\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u2018There Was In Fact A Defendant Named Jaques Strapp,\u2019 Says Judge Defending His Corny \u2018Dad Jokes\u2019<\/a> [ABA Journal]<a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/05\/californias-bar-exam-fiasco-enters-next-stage-of-stupid\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/02\/aba-suspends-dei-accreditation-requirements-for-law-schools\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2024\/10\/lawyer-conflicts-create-more-delay-in-murdered-law-professor-case\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"620\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/06\/Williams-620x620.jpg?resize=620%2C620&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-80320\" title=\"\"><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord\u2122 in the Facebook group\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo\/?fbid=10222912314148913&amp;set=p.10222912314148913&amp;opaqueCursor=AboVBPzRKh4loie1LupyI7ltSvsaUWxURlMk_338xXb_BPhzMNPHbWfVDUsOyUH1mfvHQ4Bsipef989J-V0OyqhMZzHPafTw49vttxDh_no8xymRSSUssmh47qTzHAc13R0wzk8nPhgSylnSAYcBNbHjYDqZDqy5r0f7PwzCZw9T-0cakKMIin3XI0O8R5H5OJGAu4kJjGPAoZpgL6woU9lwoHiAjxAwAlpmdlyt6vHLJ1TVn2srkC3G4qBW5ANthJ_YNT3BUPCu2vu1ZIxiqYwXGLfMIxQR4cllUaB0Cja74ln1FHs3n-xyHe6MDtxln0-F4QJchox9nCaivB_xmSxw3FduERhPebhWj1MKJ20jeucGZ64jY6DdUn2d87dVgNlFE5qHvNEtfMpoEKx1096oFfqbZ9s71YVsbXxLIsRiiW54eLp4R7z3WHAKu8v8xeLIZt86UVU1iOaSlJ0n5tT3_VonQT6n2F0sIUSLY272cI-yjWxaUIr0Qj-1NQDFFcn9dkq8pYV2-o0M3LK2Qhr9LKt-Bk4MTGUZCkb4Kw6mgDmRCux3nhJqd2hdLd8LgTA\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Law School Memes for Edgy T14s<\/a>. \u00a0He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who is learning to swim,\u00a0is interested in critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:cwilliams@abovethelaw.com\">cwilliams@abovethelaw.com<\/a>\u00a0and by tweet at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WritesForRent\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@WritesForRent<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/2025\/05\/amateur-comedian-judge-faces-ethics-complaints-over-groan-inducing-dad-jokes\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Amateur Comedian Judge Faces Ethics Complaints Over Groan-Inducing \u2018Dad Jokes\u2019<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are only two responses to a truly phenomenal dad joke: frustration and a knee-slapping gigglefest. Don\u2019t believe me? Listen to this Dad Joke compilation with your office door open and see what happens. That said, there is a time and a place for humor \u2014 the courtroom is not one of them. A lawyer [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":118523,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-118522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Williams-620x620-tTO0oh.jpeg?fit=620%2C620&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118522","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118522"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118522\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/118523"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118522"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118522"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118522"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}