Inset: Sirena Schroeder (Madison County Jail). Background: The Madison County Courthouse in Norfolk, Neb. (Google Maps).
A Nebraska woman was held in contempt after repeatedly interrupting her sentencing hearing and demanding that the judge replace her court-appointed attorney.
Sirena Schroeder, 45, appeared Friday before 7th Judicial District Judge Michael Long for sentencing in her criminal case.
A Madison County jury convicted Schroeder in August of one count of theft by unlawful taking.
The case involved an October 2024 incident in Norfolk, a medium-sized city about 45 miles north of Columbus, Nebraska. Prosecutors said Schroeder stole approximately $2,200 from a former employer.
According to a courtroom report from the Norfolk Daily News, Schroeder repeatedly interrupted and criticized her court-appointed lawyer, Marty Klein, during the hearing.
“I don’t want him to represent me because he’s not doing his job,” Schroeder told Long at one point. She reportedly spoke over both the judge and Klein while insisting that she be assigned a different attorney.
Schroeder argued that Klein had demonstrated poor legal judgment and had not adequately represented her interests following the conviction.
Her objections centered in part on the presentence investigation report prepared by the District 7 probation office. Schroeder said Klein had not reviewed the document with her thoroughly enough.
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Klein told the judge that he and Schroeder had recently spent two hours reviewing the report. When she continued to challenge his handling of the matter, Long called a recess so they could examine it together again. The additional time did not resolve the dispute.
After the hearing resumed, Klein tried to address Schroeder’s concerns about the report. She continued to insist that she wanted a new lawyer, accusing Klein of withholding information and failing to follow her instructions. She repeatedly interrupted him as he spoke.
Long repeatedly reminded Schroeder that she needed to communicate through her attorney and follow courtroom procedures.
Eventually, the judge’s patience wore thin.
“You need to understand this is not a town hall meeting,” Long told her. “You don’t get to get up and yell and speak out of turn because it makes it impossible for us to take down what is being said.”
Long sentenced Schroeder to 18 months in prison for the theft conviction. He added 30 days for contempt of court, ordering the sentences to be served consecutively.
The judge required Schroeder to keep Klein as her attorney for the sentencing hearing. Long said that if she chose to dismiss him afterward, she would have to represent herself. Schroeder responded that she wanted “competent counsel.”
Schroeder was also ordered to repay the full $2,200 to her former employer. Klein said she planned to appeal both the conviction and the sentence.
The post ‘I don’t want him’: Chaos erupts in courtroom as woman tries to fire her attorney during sentencing hearing by repeatedly criticizing him until she is held in contempt by judge first appeared on Law & Crime.
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