Penelope Soto was arrested for possession of controlled substance on Monday, she had to face Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Jorge Rodriguez-Chomat. And as she soon found out, his honor doesn't take kindly to being disrespected.
After Rodriguez-Chomat set Soto's bond at $10,000, she became upset. She let loose a "fu** you" and flipped him the middle finger as she walked away. That's when Rodriguez-Chomat called her back and asked what she said. And that's also when he laid down the law.
Judge: "You said [expletive] me?" Soto: "Yes, sir, I did." The judge then laid down the law for being in contempt of court. Judge: "You did say that? I find you in direct criminal contempt. Thirty days in the county jail." Soto: "OK, that's fine."
That's right: 30 days in jail. But the transcript doesn't capture the entire series of events.
See, the hearing started off with Soto stroking her hair, laughing, and even borderline flirting with the judge. After he sets the initial bond at $5k, she still strolls away laughing and says "adios," which could have been a shot at Rodriguez-Chomat's heavy Hispanic accent. Not taking kindly to that, the judge calls Soto back and then ups the bond to $10k. That's when Soto walks away and delivers the curse word and finger gesture