Attorney Mark Groettum was blindsided last week by an onslaught of punches from an unexpected foe -- the client he was defending in a Hibbing courtroom.
William Edwin Lehman Jr., 56, pummeled Groettum's face in front of the judge and jury, giving the lawyer a black eye and busted lip before courtroom security intervened.
Lehman, of Chisholm, was standing trial in St. Louis County District Court after being accused of stabbing two men in the apartment next door to his. Lehman had complained that the music they were playing was too loud, according to the criminal complaint.
The courtroom incident occurred after Lehman had made a motion -- when the jury was not present -- for a mistrial, saying his lawyer's counsel had not been effective. Judge James Florey denied Lehman's motion.
Groettum, 48, said his client requested a mistrial because Lehman claimed Groettum wouldn't ask witnesses questions Lehman wanted asked.
Florey ruled that the attack was an attempt to manipulate the system and that Lehman shouldn't be able to benefit from it. Another motion for a mistrial was denied.
The trial resumed Thursday with Lehman representing himself. On Friday, jurors found Lehman guilty of all six charges against him involving the attack on his Chisholm neighbors, St. Louis County prosecutor Brian Simonson said.
Florey immediately sentenced Lehman to 14 years in prison on the assault charges and five years in prison on a terroristic threat conviction, with the time to be served concurrently. The judge found Lehman to be in criminal contempt of court for assaulting Groettum and added six months of prison time for that crime
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