Posted on 06/24/2003 7:37:20 PM PDT by mhking
A man charged with attempted robbery went berserk in a Cook County court Monday, punching his lawyer and fighting with a bailiff and a prosecutor before the judge leaped over the bench and helped sheriff's deputies to subdue the man.
Assistant Public Defender Richard Kruss, 37, was in serious condition at Mount Sinai Hospital Monday night with what some observers said may be a skull fracture. After defendant George Bonney punched him in the face, Kruss fell to the ground and reportedly began having seizures.
A female sheriff's deputy was also sent to the hospital with a broken finger, said sheriff's spokeswoman Sally Daly.
Judge John Kirby hopped over his bench--robe and all--to stop Bonney's rampage.
"It certainly was a heroic act on the part of Judge Kirby to come down and help subdue the person until law enforcement could help," said Chief Judge Timothy Evans. "We're waiting to hear about the the fate of the young public defender who was the first person struck by the defendant."
It started at 10 a.m. Monday as a calm, routine status hearing for Bonney, who has been held in Cook County Jail since February on a charge of attempted robbery. He was in the psychiatric unit in Division 8 of the jail before he was brought to court. Then, he turned on Kruss.
"Unprovoked, the inmate suddenly attacked the public defender," Daly said. "He fell and hit his head. He immediately was suffering from seizures."
Bonney then attacked assistant Cook County state's attorneys John Heil and Cathleen Dillon, who were also standing directly in front of the bench.
"He went crazy," Daly said. "Two of our deputies were at arms' length and jumped in. He was subdued, put in handcuffs and taken behind the courtroom."
Kirby "came across the bench to help" and a Chicago police officer in the room also helped control Bonney.
Bonney was evaluated and placed in isolation in Division 8.
"Occasionally we have inmates who act up, but this was extremely rare," Daly said.
Kirby, a former Cook County assistant state's attorney, was elected to the bench in 1998 with strong support from Cook County Commissioner John Daley's 11th Ward organization. He has handled bond hearings on such high-profile cases as the fatal mob beatings of two men last summer, the jail guards acquitted of beating inmate Louis Schmude to death three years ago, and the man accused of pummeling a Kansas City Royals coach at Comiskey Park last year.
Bonney was charged with five counts of aggravated battery for the attacks on the public defender, the two prosecutors and the female deputy, Daly said. He is also charged with aggravated battery on a police officer for the attack on the sheriff's deputy. He is scheduled to have a bond hearing today on those charges.
There you have it folks, this guy is bucking for an insanity walk. If I'm ever in court I'll have to remember this strategy.
Daly? Hmmmmmm?!
I'm so confused.
Remember Cheech and Chong? "Baliff, whack his pee-pee."
Good move.
Leni
Well, I can see he should be soundly punished, but punching a lawyer should be a mitigating circumstance.
Bumper sticker: "Strike a blow for justice--punch a lawyer today!"
--Boris
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.