WFLA

Lawyer for woman arrested after McDonald’s outburst accuses Sheriff Grady Judd of ridiculing her

POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – The lawyer for a woman arrested last week in connection to an incident at a Lakeland McDonald’s is accusing Sheriff Grady Judd of ridiculing and mocking her.

“The world may see Sheriff Grady Judd as the class clown of all of the Florida sheriffs departments, sheriff offices. I see him as someone who is very dangerous to our judicial system,” attorney Jeremy McLymont said in a news conference Friday.

Sheriff Judd held a news conference last Friday, detailing an outburst at the McDonald’s, calling 22-year-old Tianis Jones “McMad.”

“I don’t know why this woman got as angry as she was, but as the saying goes, she’s a few fries short of a Happy Meal,” the sheriff said at last Friday’s news conference

Video of the incident at McDonald’s and the sheriff’s commentary has been viewed millions of times online.

At a news conference called by her legal team, Jones said she did not have a reaction to the video, other than “getting justice.”

McLymont says Jones has bipolar disorder and depression and was not taking her medication due to her pregnancy. She was upset at a dispute over a food order and not getting a refund, which was also the reason she called 911, according to McLymont.

“Doesn’t that sound like an excuse to you? Oh she’s got mental health issues, she’s pregnant,” said Sheriff Judd at a news conference on Friday, a week after the initial conference.

“Stick to McPolicing, stay out of the McCamera and stop trying to be a McMovie Star, mental illness is real,” said Clayton Cowart, a local civil rights leader.

Jones is facing charges of burglary with assault, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct and misuse of 911.

“[Sheriff Judd’s] unprofessional and dangerous comments stand to taint any potential jury pool that Ms. Tianis could potentially have in this case,” said McLymont.

The sheriff dismissed allegations his comments would taint a jury pool if the case were to go to trial.

“Do you think anybody’s gonna pay any attention to a press conference today at a jury trial a year or two or three years down the road? That’s nonsense,” said Sheriff Judd.