A custody hearing in Ada, Oklahoma erupted into chaos when an attorney identifying as transgender was arrested after a heated clash with the presiding judge, with surveillance and body camera footage later showing the lawyer resisting as bailiffs moved in and repeatedly shouting for help during the struggle.
The hearing, held in Pontotoc County roughly 90 minutes southeast of Oklahoma City, began as a routine custody matter but quickly escalated when the attorney, Rob Hopkins, entered a prolonged dispute with Judge Lori Jackson and was ultimately cited for contempt and removed from the courtroom.
Surveillance video and body-worn camera recordings show Hopkins actively avoiding restraint, at one point stretching himself across the judge’s bench and knocking a stack of documents onto the polished wood, an image that captured the courtroom’s sudden shift from orderly to chaotic in mere seconds.
During the confrontation Hopkins repeatedly shouted, “You’re HURTING ME!” and then, in even louder tones, “I can’t BREATHE!” as onlookers in the room watched the scene unfold in stunned silence while officers attempted to gain control of the situation.
Witnesses in the gallery reacted in different ways, with one person later telling the judge, “I felt very threatened by this person,” a comment that underscored how quickly courtroom spectators had gone from passive observers to active witnesses in a volatile moment.
The exchange that led to the arrest featured several interruptions and warnings from Judge Jackson about contempt before Hopkins accused the court of bias, saying, “It’s because I’m a transgender attorney practicing all over the state,” to which Jackson shot back bluntly, “I don’t know what you are.” Hopkins’ conduct elicited another sharp rebuke from the bench, with Jackson saying, “I don’t know you from Adam,” and calling his behavior “entirely inappropriate.”
As bailiffs moved into the room to enforce the judge’s orders, Hopkins resisted and the atmosphere deteriorated further; he yelled, “Do NOT HURT ME!” and later screamed, “I’m being thrown down!” while flinging himself onto the bench until officers were able to bring him to the floor and secure him.
Additional deputies streamed into the hallway and courtroom as the noise and commotion grew, and Hopkins demanded specific responses while under restraint, shouting, “Get a female officer, now!” and “Call 911!” even as he repeated, “I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!” in a chorus that drew attention from nearby corridors and waiting areas.
From the floor Hopkins accused officers of mishandling his belongings, alleging they had “throwing his glasses” onto the ground, a claim that surveillance later appeared to contradict, and he continued to insist, “Put them on my face,” a demand he repeated urgently before escalating to “PUT THEM ON MY FACE!” as deputies tried to seat him and lead him out.
Following the contempt charge and the fallout from the hearing Hopkins announced he had closed his law practice, a development tied directly to the incident, and he did not respond to subsequent requests for comment about the proceedings or the reasons for shuttering the firm.
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