Sandy MaloneRochester, NY – Three Monroe County sheriff’s deputies were hurt and a public defender was sent to the hospital after the attorney became disruptive at the Rochester City Court on Friday.
The incident occurred at about 10:15 a.m. on Nov. 5 when an assistant public defender was told that she couldn’t access an area of the courthouse, WROC reported.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) said that a judge denied the public defender access because of “safety concerns with a disruptive inmate.”
Investigators said that the public defender became angry after she was told she couldn’t enter the restricted area and then became “disruptive,” WROC reported.
That was when the judge asked the public defender to leave the courtroom entirely.
But the attorney didn’t initially follow the judge’s instructions and so she was also asked to leave the courtroom by sheriff’s deputies, WROC reported.
A spokesman for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said that “an altercation ensued” when the deputies tried to escort the public defender from the courtroom.
The sheriff’s department said that three deputies had to be treated for minor injuries after the scuffle with the attorney, according to WROC.
The assistant public defender was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital to be evaluated for wrist pain after the altercation.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said that incident was under investigation.
MCSO: Assistant public defender and three court deputies injured in Friday morning incident in Rochester City Court. Details below: pic.twitter.com/Sh0f2IRKcs
— Will Cleveland (@WillCleveland13) November 5, 2021
WROC reported that the station had reached out to the Public Defender’s Office for comment but had not yet received a response.
Holly Matkin
