Unruly defendants...

Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person to be put on trial in the United States for involvement in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, was ejected from a federal courtroom on Monday at the start of the jury selection process because of an outburst in which he shouted "I am Al Qaeda." He was thrown out of court a total of 4 times for his continued outbursts.

So what should the judge do? This guy shouldn't be permitted to make a mockery of the system. But there is no easy solution... Someone mentioned to me that they should muzzle him, but imagine that spectacle in Court.

Interesting contrast with Moussaoui and the Padilla defendants here in the Southern District of Florida, who have been described as courteous, respectful, and polite during court appearances. The judge in the Padilla case ordered that the defendants' shackles be removed during court.