A Hawaian man made a bizarre appearance in court for his sentencing, wearing blackface and launching a racially charged attack on both his lawyer and the presiding judge for allegedly treating him “like a black man.”
Marc Char, 61, appeared in an Oahu court on Monday for sentencing after he was convicted of attempted murder for a 2016 road rage incident in which he stabbed three people on a freeway.
For his sentencing hearing, Char was wheeled into the courtroom and appeared to have darkened his face using a permanent black marker. During the bizarre hearing, he unleashed a three-minute long rant at both his “incompetent” lawyer and Judge Todd Eddins’ “kangaroo court.”
Char, who has gone through more than a dozen attorneys, according to Hawaii News Now, claimed he was not given a fair trial, “in essence, treating me like a black man.”
“So today, I’m going to be a black man,” he added.
n Tuesday, staff members at the Halawa Correctional Facility said they “attempted to convince him to wash his face,” according to a spokeswoman for the state’s Department of Public Safety. The spokeswoman added that Char will face further charges for “disobeying several direct orders.”
The unorthodox court appearance drew swift social media reaction from people who questioned how Char was able to paint his face, and why he was allowed to appear in court with the racially offensive visage. The common question among Facebook and Twitters alike was “How was he not held in contempt of court?” while wondering why the judge had entertained such a “circus” in court.
Some were simply impressed at the lawyers and judge for maintaining their composure throughout the stunt.