Steve Jobs in Contempt - Twice

See me suffer see me pain
Must be someone else to blame
 - P Gifford, R Hirst, J Moginie

CUPERTINO (Rixstep) -- Disney stockholder and Apple CEO Steven Paul Jobs, in court today to defend himself in a traffic accident case, was held in contempt of court twice and consequently faces several nights in gaol and considerable fines.

Appearing at 10:00 AM at the courthouse at 270 Grant Avenue in Palo Alto in connection with a traffic accident earlier this month outside the Vallco Fashion Park, the Apple leader 'fell apart at the seams', accusing the old lady his car hit of herself causing the accident, prompting judge Douglas Southard to find Jobs in contempt.

Things didn't stop here however: the Apple CEO launched into yet another tirade about how the Microsoft Windows operating system was affecting his iPod sales.

'Here we go and make the best goddamned MP3 player on the market and Bill Gates and those people at Microsoft let all those viruses through. How is that our fault? It's the same thing. There's no justice in this country anymore.'

When the Apple CEO would not sit down and absolutely not shut up Southard found him in contempt - again.

'Comments such as those have no relevance in this courtroom', Southard told the assembled press afterwards. 'As he refused to be silenced I had no choice. Mr Jobs will be the guest of Santa Clara county for the next forty eight hours.'

No One Hurt

Earlier this month Mr Jobs was involved in a minor traffic accident near Wolfe Road and Stevens Creek Boulevard in Cupertino. Mr Jobs' silver Mercedes rammed into the shopping cart of Mrs Ida Adams, 72, on a pedestrian crossing at the time.

Mrs Adams says Mr Jobs' Mercedes 'seemed to come out of nowhere - and it was going the blazes too' while Mr Jobs says Adams pushed her cart out into the street after she'd seen Mr Jobs' vehicle approaching.

Mr Jobs 'erupted' when judge Southard pointed out that in either case he was still responsible as he was the last person able to prevent the accident, prompting judge Southard to hold him in contempt.

Twice.

'He gets a hot meal and a blanket but no special treatment', Southard told reporters afterwards. 'And especially after the cowardly way he treated his iPod customers who got that Windows virus, I'm tempted to even deny him that.'

'McDonalds handled themselves a lot better.'

See Also
Macworld: Apple's iPod virus response draws fire
InfoWorld: Worm eats its way into McDonald's MP3 player promotion

Ed Bott: No class in Cupertino
Threat Blog: The Hamburglar Meets the iPod
Notes & Thoughts: Where's your class? Your integrity?