Hassan Chokr: Man moons female judge during bond hearing after hurling antisemitic slurs outside temple
DETROIT, MICHIGAN: A man who was accused of hurling antisemitic slurs outside a Jewish temple reportedly dropped his pants and bared his behind in front of a female judge during a bond hearing on Tuesday, December 6.
35-year-old Hassan Chokr is facing two felony counts of ethnic intimidation following an incident that took place Friday, December 2, outside a reform synagogue called Temple Beth El located in West Bloomfield. The perp was in court Tuesday for a separate charge that included resisting arrest. Chokr reportedly stood before Wayne County Judge Regina Thomas, who had released him on bond two and a half years ago over a felony case in Dearborn. While that bond has since been revoked, his new bond in Oakland County is set at $1 million.
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According to Local 4/ClickonDetroit, the suspect had a series of dramatic outbursts during the proceedings. He flipped the judge off on Monday, December 5, and mooned her the following day at a virtual emergency bond hearing. Chokr, who was being held at Orange County Jail, reportedly refused to acknowledge his name during the hearing and said he "pleads the fifth." He then went on to become irate and began yelling and pointing at the camera, before the judge muted his microphone. "Now he has removed his pants to show the court his backside," the judge said, appearing to keep her composure. "I am putting him in the waiting room," she added.
Revisiting Friday's incident, Bloomfield Township Police Chief James Gallagher said, "Chokr did not discriminate on who he was going to talk to in that parking lot. There were moms and dads walking their kids into school and he was using some of the most vulgar, inappropriate language and comments I've ever heard." Oakland County Prosecuting Attorney Kathleen McDonald added, "I can't imagine what that must have been like for parents and small children of preschool age to be approached by someone with so much hate."
HORRIFYING - while Jewish parents were dropping their kids off at Temple Beth El daycare in Bloomfield Hills, MI earlier this morning, a man in the white van outrageously screams “F*ck the Jews” and “F*ck Israel” while driving by. pic.twitter.com/lgXVzjoBi9
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) December 2, 2022
As reported by Fox2 News Detroit, the Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor noted how the defendant "posted videos and statements on Instagram where he talks about buying guns." The prosecutor cited one of his social media posts, in which he says, "Your Jew tactics will only backfire on you, you have no place on this earth, Jew (expletive) Jew mother (expletives). A storm is coming to wipe you all out of our lives." On the other hand, Chokr's attorney Duane Johnson argued that his client was exercising his First Amendment rights of freedom of speech.
At one point, Judge Thomas questioned Chokr's mental state. She said he "seems to be mentally ill quite frankly" and shared concerns about him being a danger to the community. "I don't know why anyone would think it is appropriate to pull down his pants and show the court their behind during a court proceeding," she said. "We are free to say whatever we want to say but we are not free from the consequences. So if we are doing things that are unsafe and we are infringing on other people's rights, we don't get to do and say anything we want to without the consequences of those actions. That's where your client finds himself today." The judge added, "He exercised his right and I am exercising my right to give him a consequence for that. Nothing that any of us do in this life is without consequence."
🛑Warning: Graphic… man charged with ethnic intimidation at synagogue calls judge “Jewish Bi***” pic.twitter.com/9usQm2YTiw
— Jessica Dupnack (@JDupnackFOX2) December 5, 2022
Chokr had reportedly been released on a $10,000 bond in a case where he ended up charged with assault with a deadly weapon and assaulting a police officer. In that case, the defendant was armed while having an outburst at the Islamic Center of America on Ford Road, where he allegedly assaulted a female volunteer and was chased by police. The case is yet to go to trial, per the Daily Mail.