Lawyer Has Sympathy for Client Who Smeared Him with Feces
A public defender bounced off a case after his client smeared his face and hair with feces is expressing sympathy for his attacker.
Deputy Alternate Public Defender Jeffrey Martin called the attack “a very unfortunate incident” in an interview with the Daily Journal (sub. req.).
The client, Weusi McGowan, was on trial in San Diego for a home invasion and robbery when he brought in a plastic bag filled with excrement during a midmorning break. He smeared the material on Martin then flung it at jurors.
“Mr. McGowan is seriously mentally ill, he is retarded and has brain damage,” Martin told the Daily Journal. “He is a very unfortunate individual and this was a very unfortunate incident.”
McGowan’s new appointed lawyer is Stephen Cline, the article says. “I’m not looking forward to it, but I’ve accepted it,” he told the publication. “I will go out of my way to keep him calm and get him through this process.”
