Judge charged with battery over dog-waste dispute near his home
A California judge is facing a misdemeanor battery charge after allegedly pushing a woman from behind and knocking her to the ground during a dispute over dog waste near his Chatsworth home.
However, a lawyer for Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Craig Richman says his client did nothing wrong and it was Connie Romero who was the aggressor, reports the Los Angeles Times (sub. req.).
Attorney James E. Blatt says Richman approached Romero, who was walking her dogs, and asked her to find a trash can after he saw her place a plastic bag of excrement on a curb. Instead she threw the bag at Richman, followed him home and confronted and pushed him in his driveway, according to the attorney.
Richman pushed back, Blatt says, and Romero fell. She then got up and moved to the middle of the street, where she lay down until neighbors arrived.
Blatt said he hopes to have the case dismissed prior to Richman’s scheduled arraignment next month in Van Nuys Superior Court.
Romero could not be reached by the newspaper for comment. She told authorities she sustained a cut on her face when she struck the sidewalk, as well as a shoulder scrape and a swollen wrist. She said she called police when Richman left the scene.
Hat tip: Associated Press.
