Posted on 12/08/2005 5:07:59 AM PST by FreeManWhoCan
MIAMI (AP) -- An attorney who has made his career defending controversial and notorious clients has taken over the defense of convicted child killer Lionel Tate.
Ellis Rubin said Tate's aunt and mother contacted him Tuesday and asked him to assume the 18-year-old's defense from a public defender with whom Tate had been clashing.
Tate once was the youngest person in modern U-S history sentenced to life in prison. He's on probation for the 1999 killing of 6-year-old Tiffany Eunick, which happened when Tate was 12.
Defense attorneys initially claimed he accidentally killed the girl while imitating professional wrestling moves he saw on television.
Tate is now 18. He's accused of violating terms of his probation by allegedly robbing a pizza delivery man.
He could be returned to prison for life if the alleged violations are verified.
His probation violation hearing on Monday was postponed after a judge was presented with a handwritten letter from Tate in which the teen said he was "hearing voices" and had contemplated suicide. The judge ordered a psychological evaluation.
He murdered a little girl, stold his mothers police issued gun and robbed a pizza hut driver....
You left out Tate's September '04 arrest when he was caught outside at 2 a.m. carrying a 4" blade. The judge could have sent him back to the slammer then but did not. The judge did add 5 years to Tate's probation.
And three guns went missing. A buddy of Tate's says that he & Tate fired guns at a golf course. Two guns have been recovered; one is still missing. Tate's dear ole' ma did not report that the guns were gone.
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