Judge Can Really Clear The Court

Hear ye! Hear (*cough*) ye!:

A coughing Italian judge cleared a panicking courtroom when he told lawyers: "I've just got back from Mexico."

More than 30 attorneys in Rome told Judge Giovanni Barese they were boycotting the court and adjourning their cases because of fear of swine flu.

..."I've never seen so many lawyers agree on anything in court so quickly but we all decided we had to get as far away from him as possible.

"Maybe he hasn't got swine flu but no one was prepared to take the risk.