Judge to Defendant: No, You Can't Juggle at Trial

'The keystone to his defense is: He's literally a clown'

By Newser Editors and Wire Services

Posted May 28, 2017 10:57 AM CDT

Copied

Judge to Defendant: No, You Can't Juggle at Trial — Orlando Melendez (Springfield Police Department)

A Massachusetts judge has denied a man's request to juggle during his trial to show jurors he was just clowning around when he allegedly tried to rob a convenience store. "The keystone to his defense is: He's literally a clown," Orlando Melendez wrote of himself in his petition, per the Springfield Republican. "Denied," wrote a Springfield judge on Thursday in rejecting Melendez's request.

Melendez has pleaded not guilty to charges he used a toy gun to try to rob a convenience store in December, reports the AP. The 20-year-old man, who is representing himself, asked that he be allowed to juggle three wads of paper for 20 seconds to show jurors that the alleged attempted robbery was a misunderstanding. Jury selection is set to begin June 8. (Read more dumb criminals stories.)