Ohio man punches lawyer in court after receiving 47-year sentence
An Ohio man allegedly punched his lawyer in the face in court Tuesday upon finding out he was sentenced to almost five decades in prison.
The altercation, caught on video by a Cuyahoga County sheriff's deputy's body camera, shows David Chislton, 42, assaulting his defense attorney after finding out he was sentenced to 47 years.
Chislton had pleaded guilty to domestic abuse, aggravated arson, felonious assault and cruelty against a companion animal, according to Cleveland.com.
He now faces more charges after Tuesday's assault, according to NBC affiliate WKYC.
Aaron Brockler, Chislton's attorney, was standing next to his handcuffed client during the sentencing hearing in Common Pleas Court Judge Nancy Margaret Russo's courtroom when, he said, everything went black.
"I turned to him because I was about to tell him that I will come and meet with him privately to see if there was anything we could do to reduce the sentence, but before I could even open my mouth I heard a swoosh sound," Brockler told the news station.
"All I remember is waking up on the floor underneath the table," he said. He then saw officers on top of his client, in an attempt to subdue him.
Brockler was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for a concussion.
"I felt blessed that it was just a busted nose and a concussion," he said. "It could have been avoidable, and hopefully I took a couple of shots so now nobody else will have to."
Common Pleas Court Administrative Judge John J. Russo responded to the altercation in an emailed statement Thursday, wishing the attorney a speedy recovery.
"What occurred in courtroom 18-C today was unfortunate, and we are thankful that attorney Aaron Brockler was not more seriously injured," the statement said.
The charges against Chislton stem from an hourslong standoff with police in 2017 after a domestic violence disturbance led to a fire at an apartment complex, causing significant damage and displacing several families, according to WKYC.
