IN PHOTOS: Cebu judge prohibits catching Pokemon inside the court

Image by brar_j/ CC BY 2.0

Judge Yvonne Cabaron Artiaga threatened to charge anyone caught playing Pokemon Go in her courtroom with contempt

She posted warnings on the podium inside the courtroom and on her office door

She decided to post the warnings after she noticed that people inside the courtroom were playing Pokemon Go while the court was still in session

Pokemon GO’s popularity is indeed increasing day by day, but a judge in Cebu City isn’t entirely keen on joining the craze and has even threatened to charge anyone caught playing the popular mobile game in her court with contempt.

Image by Jun Veneracion via Facebook Page

Judge Yvonne Cabaron Artiaga of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 3 posted handwritten warnings that are intended for Pokemon GO players.

On his Facebook page, Jun Veneracion of GMA Network shared the sign posted on the podium inside Judge Artiaga’s courtroom.

It read: “Under pain of contempt, Pokemon catching inside the court is strictly prohibited. Justice may be blind but it can see Pokemon catchers. Violators will face fine and imprisonment.”

Meanwhile, on his Facebook page, Leo Lastimosa of ABS-CBN Cebu shared Judge Artiaga’s another warning posted on her office door.

It read: “Lawyers and Litigants: There is no Pokemon in my chamber. I will use to the full extent my contempt power for any Pokemon related disturbance. Knock at your own risk.”

According to an article published by Philippine Daily Inquirer, Judge Artiaga decided to post the warnings after she noticed on Tuesday, August 9, that people inside the courtroom were playing the popular mobile game despite the fact that court was still in session.

Pokemon GO is a free-to-play, location-based augmented reality game developed by American software development company Niantic, Inc. for iOS and Android devices. It was initially released in selected countries in July.

According to an article written by Brett Molina for The Australian Financial Review, Pokemon Go collected $ 260.75 million in revenue on its first month.

Molina quoted SensorTower‘s Randy Nelson as saying: “This is not only a testament to Pokémon Go’s unparalleled popularity, but, when also viewed against Clash Royale’s first month, also speaks to how the measure of a hit game’s launch (at least from a revenue perspective) has changed in just two short years.”