Man Representing Self Cites Incompetence - (HA! he once filed suit vs. NASA on Mars)

SFGATE.COM ^ | APRIL 6, 2005 | TRUDY TYNAN

[CHARLITE]

04-06) 19:55 PDT Springfield, Mass. (AP)

Thomas P. Budnick says his lawyer's incompetence was to blame for his assault conviction. The funny thing is he was representing himself.

He took his case before the state Appeals Court on Wednesday, arguing that the trial judge never should have allowed Budnick to defend himself against charges of trying to poison a friend by lacing a bottle of beer with nitric acid.

Budnick once filed mining claims on Mars and threatened to sue NASA for trespassing. Such antics should have been enough to make the judge question his competence to waive counsel, his new court-appointed lawyer said.

"This was a guy who had just come out of Bridgewater," said Linda Harvey, referring to the state mental hospital.

Budnick, who claimed he had accidentally given Gauthier a bottle of acid he kept in his garage for cleaning his collection of meteorites, was convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon and sentenced to two years in prison.

But he was cleared of the more serious charge of attempted poisoning because the liquid spilled on Gauthier's leg and burned him before he could drink it.

[EveningStar]

I remember some Woody Allen film where he was acting as his own lawyer. While standing, he would ask a question. He would then sit in a witness chair and answer it. Then he would jump out of the chair, etc... :)

[CHARLITE]

"I remember some Woody Allen film where he was acting as his own lawyer. While standing, he would ask a question. He would then sit in a witness chair and answer it. Then he would jump out of the chair, etc... :)

.......and THAT reminds me of "My Cousin Vinnie" with Joe Pecshi (sp?). It was hilarious. He shows up at court in a doorman's outfit because he didn't have anything else to wear, because he was living out of that old car.