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Calif. Courtroom Melee: Defendant Stabs Judge, Is Shot Dead By Detective

Posted Mar 5, 2009 12:20 AM CST
By Martha Neil

Updated: A man at trial for allegedly stabbing his girlfriend to death was shot and killed in a Stockton, Calif., courtroom yesterday after he reportedly left the witness stand and began stabbing the judge.

Authorities say David Paradiso, 29, was shot dead by a police detective as the defendant walked up behind San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Cinda Fox as a trial break was beginning and attacked her, reports the Los Angeles Times. Fox was treated for unknown injuries and is in good condition.

Paradiso's defense attorney, Charles Pacheco, and Detective Eric Bradley of Lodi both ran toward the bench, Pacheco tells the tells the Stockton Record, and Bradley "reached over the judge, put his gun against Paradiso's chest and fired," says Pacheco, who heard three shots. "He's the guy that saved the judge's life."

Paradiso's family reportedly had tried to warn jailers several weeks ago that he was carrying a weapon into court, according to the Times.

In a follow-up article on Friday, the Times reports that jailers searched Paradiso's cell several times, but never found the six-inch shank he used to attack the judge (a photo of the weapon accompanies the news story). Authorities suspect he concealed it in a leg brace he wore.

The judge is now recovering well, according to news reports.

Additional and related coverage:

Associated Press: "Man on trial for murder attacks judge in central Calif. courtroom before he's shot to death"

ABAJournal.com (March 2008): "2 Lawyers Attacked in Federal Court Melee"

Last updated at 10:30 p.m. on March 6 to include information from follow-up Times coverage and update on judge's condition.

Comments

1.

SANDY G.
Mar 5, 2009 5:11 AM CST

THIS MAN SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN ALLOWED TO BE ANYWHERE NEAR THE JUDGE. HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROPERLY HANDCUFFED,SHACKLED AND PLACED INSIDE A LOCKED ROOM/AREA WHILE TESTIFYING. ALSO, WHY WERE HIS FAMILIES REPORTS REGARDING THE WEAPON NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY?!  THIS MAN SHOULD HAVE BEEN THOROUGHLY SEARCHED BEFORE LEAVING THE JAIL FACILITY TO GO TO COURT, IN FACT, ALL PRISONERS SHOULD! I AM GLAD THE JUDGE, OR ANYONE ELSE WASN’T KILLED BY THIS MAN. THE OFFICER WHO USED -JUSTIFIABLE DEADLY FORCE- WAS DOING HIS JOB!! THE OFFICERS AT THE JAIL FACILITY FAILED TO DO THEIRS, AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED!! THIS WAS ALL TOTALLY PREVENTABLE IMHO. WAKE UP PEOPLE!!  WHO IS TO BLAME FOR THIS?! I HOPE THIS KIND OF THING NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.

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2.

tim
Mar 5, 2009 7:19 AM CST

At least CA doesn’t have to pay to keep him in jail for life.

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3.

caretaker
Mar 5, 2009 8:07 AM CST

It’s all falling apart.

http://endofesq.com/

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4.

J.D.
Mar 5, 2009 8:41 AM CST

California libs won’t decry this because the guy was white and because we wasn’t yet found liable for anything.

But take someone like Tookie Williams—who was actually found GUILTY—and who happens to be black, well then, libs go crazy defending him, setting up websites, holding protest after protest.

Liberalism is a mental disorder.

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5.

tim
Mar 5, 2009 9:24 AM CST

#3 - ah the famous qoute of Michael Savage - now he is a true American patriot

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6.

NYlookslikeapoliticalparadisecomparedtoCA
Mar 5, 2009 2:47 PM CST

Now, I bet, the family of the deservedly dead dude sues and the city/state settles for millions of dollars - after hiring and spending on a biglaw firm instead of using the government attorneys.  My taxes aren’t high enough out here yet.

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7.

Bill Dugan
Mar 5, 2009 4:26 PM CST

And to think the Judge is making civil service pay.  He’ll be out on disability now for a while.

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8.

Paul the Magyar
Mar 5, 2009 4:33 PM CST

Gotta love the reasoning of a racist: “California libs won’t decry this because the guy was white and because we wasn’t yet found liable for anything.”

At least the writer is not an attorney—much less a sentient being.

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9.

B. McLeod
Mar 5, 2009 6:34 PM CST

The CIA will probably decry this.  Another excellent recruiting prospect shot to Hell.

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10.

Holly M
Mar 5, 2009 6:41 PM CST

To Sandy M:  NEVER NEVER USE ALL CAPITOLS. IT IS RUDE AND IT IS LIKE SCREAMING AT PEOPLE ONLY AN ARM’S LENGTH AWAY. Secondly, you quoted the obvious. He had a weapon because crimnals are criminals: they aren’t too bright but they are sneaky and creative.

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11.

JVS
Mar 6, 2009 5:00 AM CST

Capitols vs. Capitals…discuss.

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12.

BC
Mar 6, 2009 7:33 AM CST

All I want to know is, why was there no metal detectors screening people going into the courtroom.  Every courthouse I have been into has metal dectors.

And to # 3 - Tookie Williams?  The founder of the Crips?  Really?  People set up websites and protested, not for him, but against the death penalty.  I don’t think anyone will argue that he was a bad man, but at the same time, he was not in the process of stabbing a judge when he was executed.  If he did try to stab his judge at trial, he would have met the same fate.  It had nothing to do with the color of his skin.  I think you should keep your racist comments to yourself.

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13.

Leila
Mar 6, 2009 8:20 AM CST

#3- Did you read the article?  In case you didn’t, here is what happened.  The defendant was allowed into the courtroom with a weapon, even after his family warned officials, and then he stabbed the judge.

Liberal, conservative, or otherwise,I think it’s fair to assume everyone agrees some mechanism to protect the safety of those in the courtroom should have been in place.

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14.

aldewitt
Mar 6, 2009 8:44 AM CST

My guess is the guy was out on bail, not in jail.  He was not shackled because in most cases witnesses on the witness stand are not.  It affects the jury’s perception of them. 

The judge should never have turned her back on this man, and the shooting was righteous.

I’m liberal, and red or yellow, black or white, this is a guy that deserves what he got.  If the family sues it should result in sanctions against the attorneys.

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15.

Steve Heinen
Mar 6, 2009 8:57 AM CST

Liberal or conservative has nothing to do with anything.  How did this prisoner get a weapon and why was he not searched and the weapon discovered before he entered the courtroom-especially after his family tried to warn the jailers?  Unbelievable that he wasn’t searched at the jail or at the entrance to the courtroom (at least not effectively).  I fear his family will likely sue the State over this and is likely to win.  There is just no excuse for this.  Very sad.  Glad the judge will be OK.

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16.

Sue
Mar 6, 2009 9:50 AM CST

Police did check his cell after the family’s warning, and didn’t find anything. Also, there were metal detectors, which proved useless in this case, according to the AP article:

< Paradiso’s attorney, Charles Pacheco, said he believed his client may have hid the weapon in the leg restraint. “He hid it or taped it to it or somehow stuck it in the leg brace so that if he passed through a metal detector, it would not be detected,” Pacheco said. >

On a different point… J.D. (“Just Dumb”) likes to post irrelevant comments blaming all the world’s ills on liberals. Makes himself feel better for being cold, uncompassionate and selfish.

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17.

SeaTownAttorney
Mar 6, 2009 10:45 AM CST

It is dissapointing how many comment threads end up as a conservative v. liberal smear contest, or an opportunity to thrown negative sound bites at your most hated politician of the hour. I agree with all commenters who actually cared to read the substance of the artcile and discuss THAT. If you want to discuss your negative views of other political parties, why not head over to CNN. They have lots of on-topic articles that you can expend your ire on.

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18.

Andy the Lawyer
Mar 6, 2009 11:13 AM CST

Responding to JD (# 3)—This stabbing occurred in Stockton.  That’s a major inland port city in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley—and until relatively recently one of the most conservative blue collar Republican parts of California.  These days, it’s a lot less so because it has one of the highest joblessness and foreclosure rates in the nation.  We are now re-learning what has always been obvious—there are no hungry conservatives.

Like many Limbaugh wannabees, JD seems to delight in straw man projections—first making up stuff (“Liberals say ______”) with no attribution, because it doesn’t exist, and then attacking that same made up stuff.  JD—when you find an actual liberal who said anything approving of this stabbing,let us know.

Another thought—most sherrifs deputies, including courtroom deputies, including in Stockton, tend to be conservative republicans.  Connection with professional incompetence in this instance? 

Oh yes—the stabber was named David Paradiso.  How do you know he was white?

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19.

B. McLeod
Mar 7, 2009 9:25 PM CST

Andy, “white” is an elastic concept, but J.D. is probably basing his conclusion on: a) the pictures in the LA Times story; and b) J.D.‘s personal belief que “Paradiso” es solamente por los blancos.

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