NEWS: Comedians Arrested For Telling Lawyer Jokes

CULTURE: Comedians Arrested For Telling Lawyer Jokes

Q: "How can you tell when a lawyer is lying?"
A: "His lips move."

This oft-told joke was the first salvo of lawyer jokes told by Harvey Cash and Carl Lanzisera, a pair of comedians, while passing time in line to get into a courtroom in New York state. A lawyer ahead of them in the queue took umbrage at the subject of their humour, reportedly saying, 'Shut up, I'm a lawyer.'

The pair continued with several follow-up jokes before the the offended lawyer complained to court officers, who promptly arrested them for disorderly conduct. (Yahoo! News source) The men describe their arrest experience:

The comedians are founders of an organization called Americans for Legal Reform.

Some of the jokes they are said to have told that got them in trouble:

[The editor believes that the two men arrested are the real life inspiration for Waldorf and Stadler.]

They were behaving like Waldorf and Stadler in a courthouse.

ugh. those jokes are older than the paper that protects their right to tell them

why dont sharks eat lawyers? professional courtesy!
HIYO

...ok fine there goes my act

[Edited on Jan 13, 2005 by Testm0nkey]

You think they would have arrested Seinfeld already.

what do you call 100 dead lawyers?
A good start!

boom boom

What's black & brown and looks nice around a lawyers neck?

How do you stop a lawyer from drowning?

Take your foot off his head!

The great thing about that lame old joke is that you can apply it to absolutely any person or group you don't like.

That whole thing is pretty funny/asinine though. Although while they shouldn't be arrested for it, they really were being dicks.

[Edited on Jan 13, 2005 by TedKoppel]

"what would Brian Boitano do???"

he'd make a plan and he'd follow through

[Edited on Jan 13, 2005 by BurningLeviathan]

They were behaving like Statler & Waldorf in a courthouse lobby.

maybe i could understand, if they were actually in the courtroom, in front of the judge... but in a fucking lobby? jesus christ. people need to stop taking offense to everything someone says. a joke is a joke.

we can dream can't we...

People who work in courthouses tend to take a dim view of people fucking around in the courthouse, whether in a lobby or a courtroom or a stall in the bathroom or whatever. Go figure.

Q: What do you do if you run over a lawyer outside a courthouse?
A: Reverse

wahh wahh wahh. what the fuck. free lanzisera and cash!

that is bull shit! that lawyer is a baby! wahh wahh wahhh they're makin fun of me. damn grow up!

What's the difference between a lawyer and a catfish?

One's a scum-sucking bottom-dweller. The other is a fish.

Brilliant. Well, I'm sure this lawyer will get what he wants -- these two will probably never tell another lawyer joke again! Other comedians are sure to follow. Comedians are well known for their "lay down and take it" tactics.

The first amendment says: regarding fredom of speech:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
The oonstitution goes on to say that no lower level of government make make laws that ocnflict with federal laws.

So, the jokers were wihtin their legal righs. It seems that "people that workk in th ecourthouse" need to be sent back to law schooil for a refresher course on the bill of rights.

[Edited on Jan 13, 2005 8:02AM]

FREE MITNICK!!!! oh wait........

Why do lawyers wear neckties?


To keep the foreskin from creeping over their head.

it's about time people stopped comedians from making fun of others. Damn comedians.

Freedom of speech is not absolute. There are all kinds of perfectly constitutional ways in which speech is limited by law. It may be illegal, for example, to yell fire in a crowded theater and such a law restricting such speech would be entirely constitutional. The legislative body making the law has to have some valid state interest in making a law that restricts first amendment right to speech. One might argue that preserving public order in a courthouse is a compelling state interest. So, it's quite likely that if the people making the jokes were indeed causing a disturbance that they were not within their legal rights.

A constitution, what a quaint Idea, too bad the government doesn't seem to give a shit what it says.



TKS