Coffee-Tossing Lawyer Fined $250

A lawyer who threw iced coffee at opposing counsel during a deposition was fined $250 by a federal magistrate in Oakland, Calif. Lawyer Valeria Calafiore Healy threw the coffee after opposing counsel, Thomas Wallerstein, told her to “be quiet” for a second time. The first time he said it, Healy warned Wallerstein never to say it again. Healy claims she slammed the coffee down on the table, causing it to spill. Judge Donna Ryu called Healy’s behavior “shocking and inappropriate,” but acknowledged that “there is ample evidence in the record that Wallerstein and Healy bait each other, and their exchanges are often fractious and frayed.” The money will go to compensate the opposing lawyer for damages caused when the coffee spilled on his clothing and belongings.