You had to know that no judge was was going to be happy that a litigant appearing in their court was getting internet-famous for the insults he hurled at opposing counsel.
For the maybe two people in the legal world that somehow missed the exploits of Christopher Hook, a plaintiffs’ lawyer in California, let me catch you up. Hook is squaring off against a legal team at Sheppard Mullin, led by partner Peter Klee, in an insurance dispute over about $200,000. But Hook’s bold language in settlement negotiations made him an Above the Law star. Hook’s bon mots include “eat a bowl of dicks,” “let the long dick of the law f*ck [your client],” “cumstain,” and “limp dick mother f*cker.” From Klee’s declaration in support of a motion for sanctions:
Now that we’ve got that fun refresher done, we can focus on the latest development. Yesterday there was a hearing in the case, and U.S. District Judge Otis Wright II of the Central District of California told Hook bluntly, “You just trashed your profession.” He went on to demand Hook resign from the profession, as reported by Law.com:
Wright, a former deputy sheriff in Los Angeles County and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, told Hook he had acted “like a gangster.”
“Tell you what, slick, this profession does not need you,” the judge said. “I am going to do what I can to remove you from this profession.”
He then asked Hook to resign.
“I will not do that,” Hook responded, prompting Wright to interject.
“Shut up,” the judge said. “I want you to resign from this profession.”
Judge Wright also took issue with Hook’s assertion that his emails were protected by the First Amendment and the litigation privilege:
“You honestly believe the First Amendment extends to anything?” Wright replied. “You did go to law school, right?”
As you might imagine, Wright ordered Hook to pay fees and costs:
At the end of the hearing, the judge told Sheppard Mullin’s lawyers to submit the fees and costs they want from Hook. Hook said he would agree to pay them.
“You’re going to pay for this,” the judge told Hook. “You’re going to write a check. That’s just the first thing. This is not going to be over.”
As he left the courtroom, Hook reportedly apologized for his actions, but it just might be too little too late.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).