A judge who mocked a sex offender rabbi accused of defrauding his sick and elderly followers out of millions of shekels with miracle cures, including the administering of candy to cancer patients, has been “severely reprimanded” for her courtroom conduct.
The incident occurred during a remand hearing for Eliezer Berland, who was arrested in February for alleged widespread fraud involving cash payments for promises of miraculous recoveries.
During the deliberations, Berland’s attorney Amit Hadad raised the issue of his client’s poor health as a reason to not keep him in custody.
Judge Sharon Lary-Bavly shot back, “Give him a Mentos,” referring to his touted cure, as presented in the court documents.
The widely reported quip was praised on social media but earned the disapproval of the Supreme Court president, who ordered an inquiry into Lary-Bavly’s conduct.
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