Inmate Who Allegedly Stabbed Lawyer with Pencil Accused of Repeat Assault on New Counsel

A Washington state inmate apparently has a problem with lawyers and pencils.

The Snohomish County inmate, Joshua Monson, 27, was assigned a new lawyer on Thursday after he was accused of stabbing his first attorney with a pencil in court last Monday. On Friday, Monson was appearing in a court hearing through videoconference when he allegedly stabbed his new lawyer with a pencil, according to KIROTV.com and HeraldNet.com.

Neither lawyer was seriously hurt. The first, Tom Cox, said he would stay on as Monson’s lawyer, but he was replaced nonetheless. The second, Gurjit Pandher, did not comment to the publications. The inmate’s weapon was a jailhouse pencil that is about the size of a golf pencil.

The hearing on Friday concerned staying action in pending prosecutions so Monson can get a mental health evaluation. He is accused of second-degree murder and methamphetamine possession, KIROTV.com says.