FL: not in contempt

From the St. Petersburg Times:

Order in the court? Decorum determined by each judge

Lawyers... are expected to show reverence, addressing the robed figures as "Your honor" all the while fighting hard for their clients. Around a crowded conference table last week during a hearing in Circuit Judge Linda Babb's chambers, the rules softened, at least briefly.

"I don't mean to be rude," Public Defender Tom Hanlon told Babb, "but when you're trying to kill this kid ..." "I'm not trying to kill anyone," Babb said calmly.

Asked later, the judge said she understood the emotions behind Hanlon's words and didn't take them personally. "There is a line that somebody can cross, but Mr. Hanlon hasn't crossed it," she said. "I want people to be vociferously advocating for their clients and that's what he's doing..."

And a refresher lesson for the judges in Hall County, Georgia:

"...(T)here's a real tension between the defense attorney's desire to explore every avenue and the court's desire to get an efficient resolution of the case."