Judge Ian Dodd appeared to doze off for up to twenty minutes at a time and even snored leaving lawyers trying to awaken him, and the jury in mirth. Court officials even resorted to purposefully dropping heavy books to awaken him.
The suspected traffickers, Rafael Cesan and Ruben Rivadavia, argued that they couldn't have a fair trial when it was presided over by Dodd known amongst lawyers as 'Judge Nodd'.
The high court granted the appeal and the accused now face retrial. Judge Dodd was later diagnosed with a sleep condition and has since retired.Meanwhile in the US judge Richard Sasso has admitted to taking drug Vicodin and drinking wine before holding court in New Jersey in 2006.
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