Defense Lawyer Jailed Over Tenn. Courthouse Fracas, Trial is Postponed
Tennessee attorney Chris Cawood arrived with a client law enforcement officer at the Roane County Courthouse this morning for a trial that was to determine whether Mark Patton would remain in office as the county’s elected constable.
But it had to be postponed after Cawood was jailed after a courthouse fracas with three other law enforcement officers, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports.
Both sides agree the incident began when a law enforcement officer approached Patton with a screening “wand.” From there, accounts of what happened differ:
“We were going to wand Mr. Patton, and Mr. Cawood went off the deep end,” says officer Melvin Page. Cawood shoved him with his briefcase, prompting two other law enforcement officers to enter the fray, he contends.
But Patton says Cawood wasn’t the aggressor. “They assaulted my attorney as we are trying to get in the courthouse,” he tells the newspaper.
Cawood reportedly was handcuffed and taken to jail and has been charged with three counts of assault and disorderly conduct.
Patton, who is accused of misusing his office, according to the Associated Press, attributes the incident to a vendetta against him, the News Sentinel reports.
