A burglary suspect caused chaos in a Miami courtroom in 2019 when he defecated and threw his faeces at the judge. Dorleans Philidor, 33, was seated in a wheelchair next to Dade Circuit Judge Lisa Walsh’s bench when the incident occurred just before closing arguments were due to begin.
According to witnesses, Philidor yelled, “It’s protein! It’s good for you!” as he attempted to cast the faeces at the judge. Fortunately, none of the waste reached Judge Walsh, who scrambled away as the bailiff shouted at her to run. Lawyers and officers rushed from the room as county police and correction officers swarmed in.
Witness Allen Rios, who posted a clip of the commotion on Instagram, said, “It was intense. The corrections officers and police officers were swarming. Like 60 of them. They told everyone to leave and you couldn’t go back in. It was a hazardous area.”
The trial was halted while the courtroom was cleaned, but closing arguments continued in another room. Despite his revolting actions, Philidor was found not guilty of the burglary charge. However, he still faced charges for another serious alleged crime.
This was not the first delay in the trial. The previous day, Philidor had defecated and smeared faeces over himself and his holding cell. A doctor assessed his mental health and deemed him fit to continue. Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation spokesman Juan Diasgranados said staff would monitor the inmate and take extra precautions to prevent a recurrence.
