A judge in Florida has faced backlash after an unusual moment during a court session where she asked a domestic violence suspect for cooking tips, including how to properly grill a steak.
Broward County Judge Allison Gilman engaged in this unexpected conversation with Christopher Johnson while he was present for his bond hearing related to domestic battery accusations on Monday.
Johnson, a chef at a local sports bar, was arrested for reportedly yanking his ex-girlfriend’s hair and hitting her in the mouth, resulting in a split lip, according to police reports from Sunrise.
In a video from the court session obtained by WSVN, Judge Gilman asked, “If you were going to cook me a dish, what would it be?”
“To make food, I’m gonna start with steak on the grill, man,” Johnson responded.
The dialogue soon turned to the judge’s difficulties with grilling.
“Steak on the grill. Right. See, I either burn it on the outside and then it’s not cooked enough on the inside, or I just overcook it,” Gilman admitted.
Johnson seemed eager to help, demonstrating how to turn the steak between 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock.
“You mean turn the steak?” she clarified.
“Ten o’clock, two o’clock,” he reiterated.
Gilman followed up, asking, “So you keep it on the same side and you turn it. But are you flipping it? Do you flip it?”
She then posed yet another question concerning how to ensure the steak isn’t tough. “How do you not make a steak chewy? That’s also another — but that’s for another day, I guess,” she added.
Ultimately, she set Johnson’s bond at $1,500 and inquired if he could pay it, to which he replied affirmatively. “Of course you can. With those kinds of things you’re cooking,” she remarked, indicating that she would need to stop by his workplace for a meal.
This unexpected exchange has drawn criticism from advocates for domestic violence victims. Dr. Linda Parker, CEO of Women in Distress, expressed her disapproval, noting that discussing cooking during such a serious case sends the wrong message to survivors. “Turn the steak? What? We’re talking about steak in a domestic violence case? It just tells survivors, ‘I may not get the justice that I need,’” she stated.
Parker stressed that this wasn’t how such cases should be handled and hoped that the judge would receive some feedback about her conduct.
Gilman, elected to her position on the Broward County Court bench in 2020, has a background in criminology from Florida State University and holds a law degree from St. Thomas University, previously working as a criminal defense attorney.
Johnson has a history of legal troubles, including a prior arrest for aggravated battery against the same woman during her pregnancy. He has since been released on bond and instructed to avoid contact with the victim.
This playful exchange wasn’t the first of its kind for Judge Gilman. Just earlier in the month, during a different case involving a defendant working in a seafood restaurant, she jokingly mentioned she would not share her “shrimp-making abilities.”
