Picture this: a serious appellate court hearing in Colorado, live‑streamed for public viewing, morphs into cringe‑comp central.
Assistant Attorney General William Kozeliski, a married man facing the state’s top trial lawyers, opens his mouth during oral arguments in People v. Delgado, a violent sexual assault case, arguing for consecutive sentences, and blurts out, “But honey…” to a female judge. Yep, “honey.” Benefit of the doubt, slip of the tongue. Worst case scenario: an egregiously sexist slip-up.
Kozeliski face-palmed quickly
MUST SEE: Male lawyer calls Colorado appeals court judge "honey" during oral argument
— JSLaw (@macarthur_clark) June 19, 2025
Have you ever seen anything like this? @ErinDurant42 @Breanna_Needham pic.twitter.com/xWvo61JobR
In the footage, Kozeliski feels the heat the second the word escapes his mouth. He stammers a flustered “Oh, my… I’m sorry. I’m sorry. That. I don’t know what to say to that. I apologize.” He then shifts back into lawyer mode, or at least tries to.
On the bench, Judge Elizabeth Harris is doing the heavy lifting with questions and tries to maintain decorum, unsure if she should be offended or let the gaffe slide.
As the footage shows, Judge Terry Fox was also on the bench that day, and she struggled mightily to suppress her laughter. She covers her mouth and gathers her composure while the courtroom air vibrates with second‑hand embarrassment.
Cringe, but human
I think they got a little something, something going on the side or he’s been in some recent disagreements with his wife.
— The Facts Dude (@The_Facts_Dude) June 21, 2025
That sticky moment? It shot straight onto social media thanks to live‑stream footage from the Colorado Court of Appeals, reposted on X by Collin Rugg. Within hours, the clip racked up millions of views and millions more reactions, some sympathetic, others savage. Many noted the similarity between “honor” and “honey” or other embarrassing instances, when one might say “Love you, too!” when concluding a business conversation. One comment on social media said, “I think they got a little something, something going on the side, or he’s been in some recent disagreements with his wife.”
So why does this even matter?
In the modern court of public opinion, a slip like that can turn a serious case into meme fodder faster than you can say “objection.” But unlike most courtroom bloopers, this one features an adult male in a suit calling the judge “honey”—and people can’t help but laugh, tut, and squirm watching it unfold.
Despite the slip-up, the hearing trudged on. Kozeliski regained his footing and continued his argument over whether a sexually violent offense could count as one continuous act or split into several—high‑issue law stuff, but the internet decided to zoom in on the verbal stumble instead.
