Punched Attorney Is Allowed to Withdraw
An attorney punched in the face by his client was permitted to withdraw from the case Tuesday, while a second lawyer who refused to take it over was held in contempt and temporarily locked up.Public defender Andrea Konow, who witnessed the sucker punch of her colleague in court Monday, said she could not in good conscience represent Malik El-Shabazz, 20, on trial for raping and murdering a 6-year-old girl.
Common Pleas Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan held Konow in contempt and she was led out of the courtroom by sheriff's deputies. The Defender Association of Philadelphia appealed the ruling and Konow was released later Tuesday.
Details here from the AP via ABCNews.com. I linked to the original story about the punch earlier here.