'Spit hood' can't stop man's death threat against judge

A man in Memphis has talked himself into nearly two years in jail after threatening to kill a judge, according to The Associated Press.

Joshua Beadle was shackled and outfitted in a special hooded spit mask during the hearing Monday after spitting at the judge at a hearing in January. Beadle missed the judge and instead hit a clerk's computer.

Through his nylon-and-mesh spit mask, he apologized to the clerk on Monday and assured her that his intended target was the Judge Lee Coffee.

He was not, however, polite to the judge, according to a report by Lawrence Buser of the Memphis Commerical Appeal.

"I promise you, Lee Coffee," Beadle yelled, "I'll kill you and cut your (expletive) head off."

The incident occurred Monday after a hearing in which his appointed attorney asked to be removed from the case because Beadle had threatened to kill him, too.

Click here to read the rest of Buser's latest report and then here to read about Beadle's earlier antics. There is a photo of him, shackled and wearing a mouth cover. It may not be the "spit hood," but it's a pretty dramatic image.

-- Bill Miller