Detroit Mom Booted from Zoom Court for Making PB&J Sandwich

In an age where our living rooms have become our offices, classrooms, and now apparently courtrooms, it seems some lines of decorum are still not meant to be crossed, like making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich during a court hearing.

That's exactly what happened when Detroit mom, Asja Outerbridge, appeared virtually before Judge Sean Perkins in the 36th District Court. The courtroom, streamed out to the internet via YouTube like a legal episode of Survivor, took an unexpected turn when Outerbridge, mid-hearing, decided it was sandwich o'clock.

To be clear, this wasn't a subtle, off-camera snack moment. No, the sandwich was in full view, as Outerbridge assembled it live on Zoom while the hearing was underway. Judge Perkins, not exactly known for tolerating culinary performances in court, quickly expressed his disapproval and promptly removed her from the call.

Outerbridge, however, wasn't just making a sandwich for fun. She later explained that her 3-year-old daughter, Parker, was home sick, and like any multitasking mom in a post-pandemic-era world, she was trying to juggle parenting and legal proceedings.

"I didn't even know I was still on camera," she told local outlets after discovering her sandwich moment had gone viral thanks to Metro Detroit News, which posted the video clip to Instagram.

The clip, naturally, gained traction. However, the question I want to pose is: Is making a sandwich during an online court proceeding that bad? In my mind, it seems as though a mom was simply multitasking and deserved a little grace.

What was Outerbridge's original charge? It was allegedly for having an open alcohol container while riding in a car. However, it was her "Zoom etiquette", not the misdemeanor, that really has people talking.

As virtual courtrooms continue to stream proceedings to the public on platforms like YouTube, perhaps it is time to add a new rule to the book.