Honolulu Judge Lono Lee Puts Man In Chokehold For Ruckus (VIDEO)

It got personal for Honolulu-based District Judge Lono Lee when he put a man in a chokehold for jumping onto his bench and breaking a flagpole bearing the state flag

HONOLULU (AP) -- It got personal for a judge in Honolulu when he put a man in a chokehold for jumping onto his bench and breaking a flagpole bearing the state flag, authorities said.

District Judge Lono Lee knocked down Steven Michael Hauge and restrained him Monday after the man caused a ruckus in Lee's courtroom, Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Toni Schwartz told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Hauge had been going from courtroom to courtroom in the Honolulu District Court building screaming, State Sheriff Shawn Tsuha said. "He was quite upset about something," Tsuha said.

It was not clear why Hauge was in the building. Court records show a criminal record dating to 1977 with more than 50 convictions on charges including, burglary, fraud and assault.

Hauge was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, obstruction of government operations and fourth-degree criminal property damage. Tsuha said Hauge allegedly broke the flag's staff while swinging it.

Hauge couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday at Oahu Community Correctional Center, where he was being held on $1,500 bail.

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Comments

[Raven Pardue]

03:02 AM on 04/03/2012

Right on, Judge Lono! I'm glad no one was seriously hurt. Clearly Mr. Hauge is an unstable fellow.

[isaiahnypdrd]

11:32 PM on 03/31/2012

Good for the judge for not just waiting for someone to pull the guy away.

[erlennon]

04:11 AM on 03/29/2012

Shouldn't there have been a bailiff or other sort of armed guard in the courtroom? You know, in case something like this happens so the judge doesn't have to turn into Chuck Norris?

[Bills Catz]

05:38 PM on 03/26/2012

Ah, Lono Lee, cousin of Bruce Lee! Kill you long time, defendant!

[firewired]

08:54 PM on 03/25/2012

"But Judge, you're HURTING ME!" LMAO!

[lizp33558]

08:16 AM on 03/25/2012

my hats's off to the judge, way to go!

[jgfsmf]

06:24 PM on 03/22/2012

Here's comes the Judge. Way to go.

[jgfsmf]

06:41 PM on 03/22/2012

Oops

[jgfsmf]

04:05 PM on 03/22/2012

Here comes the Judge. Way to go.

[KelaMa]

01:13 PM on 03/22/2012

Nice move your honor, but where was security if this guys was "going from courtroom to courtroom?"

[Citats]

11:56 AM on 03/22/2012

That judge looks like Captain Leeland Stottlemeyer from Monk.

[sloop uk]

11:12 AM on 03/22/2012

Good hold, Your Honour.

Send him down!

[PapaRocky]

09:16 AM on 03/22/2012

Um ... change of venue, your honor?

The way HP promoted this article, I thought we were actually going to see a video of the incident rather than just a bunch of talking heads ...

[cuoi]

09:44 AM on 03/22/2012

Do we have to watch this on the MMA channel?

[PapaRocky]

09:58 AM on 03/22/2012

I have no idea what that is ...

[klincklanc]

08:40 AM on 03/22/2012

He's a convicted felon w/49 other convictions too. why is his bail on $1500?

[rivergirl301]

08:15 AM on 03/22/2012

Thank God this judge was on the ball. I was on a jury with the defendant being accused for trying to take a cop's gun from him and shoot him with it. The bailiff snoozed through the entire trial. I was scared to death.

[jbjg24m]

07:31 AM on 03/22/2012

kong arm of the law

[jbjg24m]

07:33 AM on 03/22/2012

"long " not kong, sorry , typo

[sis14slf]

08:52 AM on 03/22/2012

@jbjg24m Actually Kong (as in king) is funny.