Nathaniel Saxton is the Michigan man who, on May 11, 2021, joined a Zoom arraignment under the screen name “Buttfucker 3000,” drew a public dressing-down from the judge, and ended the same hearing by pleading to a drug paraphernalia charge and paying a $200 fine.1Deadline Detroit. Zoom Screen Name Irks Michigan Judge, Mortifies Defendant
What Happened in the Zoom Hearing
Saxton appeared virtually before St. Joseph County 3B District Court Chief Judge Jeffrey Middleton for an arraignment on a Three Rivers, Michigan city ordinance charge of possessing drug paraphernalia. The charge came from a traffic stop that turned up a used syringe testing positive for methamphetamine residue. The maximum exposure was 90 days in jail and a $500 fine.2Law & Crime. Poor Guy Logged Into Courts Zoom Call With Anal Sex Themed Screenname
When Saxton’s video tile came up on screen, his display name read “Buttfucker 3000.” Middleton asked his name, heard “Nathaniel Saxton,” and responded on the record: “It’s not Buttfucker 3000 … logging into my court with that as your screen name? What kind of idiot logs into court like that?”3Detroit News. Michigan Judge Blasts Man Logging Into Virtual Hearing Under Obscene Name The judge then sent him to the Zoom waiting room, telling him he could “sit in limbo for a while and think about what you call yourself online.”4Syracuse.com. Michigan Judge Blasts Fool Who Entered Virtual Court Hearing With Explicit Screenname
How Saxton Explained the Screen Name
When he was readmitted, the name on screen had been changed, though misspelled as “Nathanial Saxaon.” Saxton told the judge his sister had set up the Zoom account and that the name was tied to his iPhone’s Bluetooth settings as an inside joke. “It’s not what you think, I’m embarrassed. I’m sorry,” he said. When Middleton first confronted him, he had initially appeared surprised and denied typing anything like that.5The Independent. Michigan Court Hearing Zoom Username
Middleton did not hold Saxton in contempt, but told him how close he had come: “Tell her she almost got you put in jail for contempt of court,” referring to the sister.4Syracuse.com. Michigan Judge Blasts Fool Who Entered Virtual Court Hearing With Explicit Screenname
How the Case Ended
After the exchange, the hearing turned to the underlying charge. Saxton initially pleaded not guilty. Once Middleton noted that the standard fine for the offense was $200, Saxton changed his plea and admitted possessing the used syringe. The judge accepted the plea and imposed the $200 fine. No jail time, probation, or additional penalties were reported.1Deadline Detroit. Zoom Screen Name Irks Michigan Judge, Mortifies Defendant Saxton was employed at a horse trailer factory at the time.4Syracuse.com. Michigan Judge Blasts Fool Who Entered Virtual Court Hearing With Explicit Screenname No public statements from Saxton or any attorney on his behalf were reported after the clip went viral.
Why the Clip Spread
The hearing was carried on Middleton’s YouTube livestream, a channel he had launched in April 2020 that had grown to nearly 13,000 subscribers by the time of the arraignment.6Gizmodo. Buttfucker 3000 Does Not Fly in Zoom Court Twitter user @KikkiPlanet was credited with first boosting the clip, and coverage followed from Law & Crime, the Detroit News, the ABA Journal, and Vice, among others.4Syracuse.com. Michigan Judge Blasts Fool Who Entered Virtual Court Hearing With Explicit Screenname Vice placed it alongside the “I am not a cat” Texas Zoom moment as part of a wave of virtual-court clips going viral.7Vice. Judge Has No Patience for Buttfucker 3000 in Zoom Court The official video was eventually taken down, but copies had already proliferated.
What Happened to the Livestream
On May 19, 2021, days after the Saxton clip spread nationally, Middleton announced he was ending the YouTube livestream, citing a “strong suggestion” from Region 5 Court Administrator Jill Booth and his own concern about an “inherent flaw” in broadcasting litigants’ hearings without their consent.8Michigan Advance. Michigan Judge in Viral Videos Pulls YouTube Stream
The shutdown lasted days. State Court Administrator Tom Boyd contacted Middleton to encourage him to resume, and a Michigan Supreme Court spokesperson called Booth’s earlier instruction a “miscommunication.” Middleton restarted the stream on May 24, 2021, with a new rule removing archived videos from the channel after seven days.9Michigan Advance. Michigan Judge Reverses Course, Will Restart YouTube Livestream Monday