Defendant attacks prosecutor after conviction on sex-abuse charge
A New Mexico man faces new charges after attacking a prosecutor in a courtroom immediately following his conviction on a charge of criminal sexual contact of a minor under the age of 13.
Michael T. Cox Jr., 31, can be seen on a courtroom video jumping out of his chair and pushing Deputy District Attorney Scot Key to the floor before being subdued by bailiffs and other onlookers, the Alamogordo Daily News reports.
Cox had just been convicted on a charge of inappropriately touching his live-in girlfriend’s 5-year-old daughter when the attack occurred. The Jan. 20 courtroom incident was witnessed by the judge, jury, courtroom staff and other observers, the Daily News reports.
Cox has been jailed on a no-bond hold pending the outcome of an investigation into the incident by the Otero County Sheriff’s Office. Additional charges are expected.
Twelfth Judicial District Attorney David Ceballes condemned the attack and called it an “absolute outrage.”
“Physically attacking a prosecutor in the courtroom when he is only doing his job is unconscionable,” he told the Daily News.
