[narrator]
where a 16-year-old is in juvenile court
after violating his probation.
He's joined by his mother.
Next to them is the court clerk.
But noticeably absent is his attorney.
As Judge John Wulle inquires about the lawyer's whereabouts,
the teen addresses the court.
I would like to fight for myself
and not have an attorney.
[narrator]
wants to play Perry Mason,
but Judge Wulle doesn't necessarily think
that's a good idea.
Oh, that's not a smart play.
That's like going out onto the field with the New York Yankees
and you've never even learned how to play baseball.
-That's fine. -[Wulle] It's not.
I'm not gonna do that.
You're gonna have an attorney assist you in this matter.
I'm not gonna let him fly solo
and walk into a court of law and try to practice law
when he hasn't even finished high school.
I just wanted to say I'm guilty, that's all, and just take my--
We're sending it over to Tuesday.
[narrator]
is that he believes a juvenile can't legally plead guilty
without an attorney present.
[Wulle] I'm not gonna accept an admission at this time.
[Wulle] So put it on for Tuesday for either admit or denying
or for whether there'll be a replacement of the attorney.
[narrator]
everything in his power to help this defendant,
but when the teen continues to question him...
[narrator] ...the judge loses his temper.
[Wulle] Because I'm doing my job, sir.
My job requires that I protect your constitutional rights,
you as an American citizen.
That's my charge.
And if you're too stupid
to know that what I'm trying to do is protect you,
then let me spell it out for you.
So step one is I bring the case back
and then you talk.
[narrator]
to the teen to be quiet.
[Wulle] Because I'm doing my job, sir.
[narrator]
by backing him up.
And our State Supreme Court has backed you up on that.
They have, and I'm sure the U.S. Supreme would too.
[narrator]
her dissatisfaction with the judge's choice of words.
State Supreme Court has backed you up on that.
They have, and I'm sure the U.S. Supreme would too.
Okay, you're gonna take this and you're gonna have a seat.
Um, you're gonna be back in court...
[narrator]
Judge Wulle offers an apology.
My apologies to everyone in this courtroom.
I very rarely lose my temper.
[narrator]
But when I do, it's usually because someone is too stupid
to recognize that I'm trying to help them.
[narrator]
with Judge Wulle's backhanded apology.
One, he's just doubled down
on calling the defendant stupid.
It's usually because someone is too stupid to recognize
that I'm trying to help them.
-And, two...
[narrator]
Over a two-and-a-half year period,
Judge Wulle was cited for four separate incidents
by the Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct
for "a pattern of discourteous, impatient,
and undignified behavior."
Judge John Wulle would later receive a public reprimand
for his ill-tempered courtroom conduct.
Oh, that's not a smart play.
[tense music playing]
[narrator]
It's after 9 p.m.
Four teens, age 15 to 17,
have been left unsupervised while on a work detail
off-camera in the basement of the building.
As minors, these boys are staying here instead of jail
while they await trial for crimes
including armed robbery, auto theft,
and murder.
And as you can see,
they don't plan on sticking around for their trials.
They've just come up a basement elevator
and are wearing what appear to be yellow security vests.
While one of the young men
begins making his way down the hall,
he changes his mind and follows the others up the stairs.
When they get to the ground floor,
the teens bolt through the front entrance.
No one's stopping them.
Cameras catch the entire escape.
For now, they've made it and run off into the night.
Eventually, all four involved in the escape were caught
and could now face additional charges.
It's later discovered that the four teens
likely had help from the inside.
Two employees are terminated and arrested
for assisting the juveniles in their escape.
And this wasn't the first time a juvenile tried to escape
this exact same juvenile facility.
[suspenseful music playing]
We go back just two years earlier.
And these staff members have been tracking a teen
as he makes his way through the ceiling
just a few feet above their heads.
[rumbling]
[rumbling and creaking]
Though he's just out of reach,
the ceiling begins to give way.
The ceiling doesn't hold,
and the defendant crashes through.
Security's not giving up and immediately surround him...
[crashing]
...as his daring, though poorly planned escape
comes to an end.
Watch again as the juvenile
makes one last effort to flee.
Security's taking no chances of letting him escape again.
He's unhurt and immediately taken back into custody.
After this incident and the most recent escape,
the city of Nashville's considering taking over
operations of the privately run center.
Kisha Johnson.
[narrator]
and the Jefferson County District Court.
An arraignment hearing is underway
for 18-year-old Kisha Johnson,
who's charged with possession of marijuana,
drug paraphernalia,
and tampering with physical evidence.
Come on up here, ma'am.
[narrator]
the judge, Sean Delahanty,
from the back of the court.
No, you stand at this podium.
Ma'am, you have to come up here. We can't record you back there.
The laws are the state of Kentucky.
Come up here and stand at this podium.
I have to get you on the record
so that people-- so we can see you
with your argument.
[narrator]
because she's part of a sovereign citizens movement
which rejects institutions
and believe they aren't bound by the country's laws.
Well, I... Ms. Johnson, I really don't want
to create some big scene.
-Okay, well-- -Hang on a second.
I do not want to lock you up,
but I may very well have to.
I need for you to come up here and stand at this podium.
No, you cannot.
You have to come up here and stand at this podium.
[narrator]
there's another disruption in the back of the courtroom
when a bailiff tells 36-year-old Jenna Vondran
to stop filming on her cell phone.
[narrator]
on allowing filming in their courtrooms.
All right. Chris!
-Show me the law! -Chris!
-Show me the law! -Go ahead and lock her up.
-Show me the law! -Take her into custody.
[narrator]
and presses his panic button
to summon additional deputies to the courtroom.
[Vondran] What are you doing?! There is no right!
You have no right!
-Sit over there. -Under common law, no right!
No right for this!
[indistinct]
No, I'm not finished with her yet.
[Vondran screaming indistinctly]
[tense music playing]
All right.
[narrator]
the original defendant, Kisha Johnson,
finally comes forward to the podium.
You're charged with possession of marijuana,
tampering of physical evidence,
and possession of drug paraphernalia.
I don't understand any of that.
All right. Uh, well,
you're charged with illegally possessing marijuana...
[narrator]
deputies in the hallway are still trying to get control
of Vondran, the woman with the cell phone.
I don't understand any of those charges.
Well, there's not a whole lot more...
[Vondran screaming]
Not a whole lot more I can do to try to explain to you.
-Okay.
doesn't work, Johnson goes back on the offensive.
Let's start here. Can you guys prove jurisdiction?
Prove jurisdiction, because I come in under common law.
Prove your jurisdiction, that you have jurisdiction over me,
over this, over-- prove jurisdiction.
A court cannot proceed until you guys prove jurisdiction.
Show me your jurisdiction. Show me your law.
All right. Um,
there are-- all of our laws are codified
in the Kentucky Revised Statutes--
Show me jurisdiction. Show me the law.
-Here you go. -[Johnson] Okay.
That doesn't prove that you have jurisdiction.
Okay, so what else...
Now, there's a simple way for me to prove jurisdiction to you.
I'm gonna ask the deputy to go ahead and take you into custody.
[Johnson] Under what charges? Under what charges?
[Delahanty] You are disrupting my court.
[shouting indistinctly]
-Stay back! -Stop resisting!
Stop resisting!
All right, we're gonna pass her case to tomorrow.
[narrator]
with contempt of court.
Fast forward to the next day,
and she's about to face a new judge.
Kisha Johnson, 56.
[narrator]
I don't know how familiar you are with this case.
I'm familiar. Podium flipper.
-[laughing] -[attorney] Okay.
I've heard a little bit about it from yesterday.
All right, so this is Ms. Johnson.
We'll note that she's in custody today.
She's brought over and present.
And she'd like to make a statement to the court.
I had time to think about it, and...
I believe, and I've learned, that I need to...
represent myself in a respectful manner
while I'm in front of the judge.
Okay, so, obviously, um,
that behavior will not be tolerated.
That's why you ended up where you are.
[narrator]
and is released from jail after serving one day.
On her original charges, two were dropped,
but she's found guilty of possession of marijuana
and fined $185.
As for Jenna Vondran,
who was arrested after filming in the courtroom...
Go ahead and lock her up.
[narrator]
and serves one day in jail.
For this next story, we want to warn you.
The facts are gruesome,
but as you will see,
daring escapes aren't only attempted
in the American legal system,
as we head over to Russia.
[dramatic music playing]
[speaking Russian]
[narrator]
who's on trial in Moscow, Russia,
for the murder of his sister, Ariada Korol.
According to the defendant,
he was commanded by Satan
to kill his 21-year-old sister,
who he stabbed multiple times.
Today, Greyser's in the Scherbinsky courthouse
behind the walls of a glass cage.
This practice is rarely seen today outside of Russia
to prevent dangerous criminals from attacking...
[narrator]
which is exactly what Greyser's planning to do.
[speaking Russian]
[narrator]
but moments later...
he somehow has slipped through the slats
at the top of the bulletproof security dock.
A gap in the video doesn't reveal how he did it,
but if we look again,
officers consider opening the box to stop him,
but Greyser's way ahead of them.
One officer strikes him.
But he's not giving up.
[speaking Russian]
[narrator]
and presses a large button on the wall,
calling for backup.
Greyser's pants are coming off during the escape!
The officer has a firm grip on Greyser's leg
and is not about to let go.
Then another officer arrives.
[narrator]
are not playing around.
[narrator]
[taser clicking]
[narrator]
what's about to happen.
[speaking Russian]
[narrator]
[speaking Russian]
[narrator]
Greyser will go on to make a full confession
for the murder
and said he had no regrets about what he did.