Judge threatens prosecutor with contempt for wearing ascot

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A judge is asking a lawyer to tie one on.

Circuit Judge William Sosnay held up court for about three hours Tuesday after a prosecutor showed up wearing a red ascot to court despite a rule requiring lawyers to wear neckties.

Sosnay decided that Warren Zier’s ascot — a silk scarf-like loop of cloth worn at the base of the neck — “borders on contemptuous.”

“He has told me that if we’re before a jury, he would appear with a tie,” the judge said. “Well, why? I think we can draw an obvious implication from that.”

Zier said he plans to continue with his practice of rotating his neck wear from a long tie to a bow tie to an ascot.

Zier said he’ll just have to wait to find out what happens with the threat of a contempt citation. “I guess we’ll deal with that if it gets to that point,” Zier said.