Lawyer Karate-Punches Own Client

Believe it or not, between the lawyer and the scumbag criminal -- the lawyer's the good guy here.

A 44-year-old Cotati man was punched by his own attorney and shot twice with a Taser stun gun today during a melee that emptied a full Sonoma County courtroom after he tried to remove a court bailiff's firearm from its holster.

The Sonoma County sheriff's office, whose deputies serve as court bailiffs, said defendant Martin E. Hirtz, 44, turned on sheriff's Deputy Eric Greenband and lunged for his weapon when the deputy approached to place him into custody on Judge Lawrence Antolini's order.

The 5 foot 11 inch, 180-pound Hirtz was in Sonoma County Superior Court for violating the terms of his probation. He previously was convicted of assault on a police officer and resisting arrest, sheriff's Capt. Dave Edmonds said. Hirtz's attorney, Deputy Public Defender Jeff Mitchell, said Hirtz's probation violation was alcohol-related.

...

Then attorneys joined the fray. Deputy District Attorney Robert Waner and Mitchell, who has a black belt in Kempo Karate, participated in restraining the defendant.

Mitchell said he punched Hirtz in the face several times while Waner took hold of one of Hirtz's arms.

Several punches to the face? Let's call that, ohhh, a half a billable hour, plus copying costs.

posted by Ace at 03:04 PM

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