A 61-year-old man who was convicted of a horrific crime 33 years ago attacked his own counsel in a dramatic courtroom incident after the judge upheld his death sentence.
After being convicted of killing an 11-year-old girl called Cornell and her caregiver, Lisa Story, in 1990, Joseph Zieler resorted to violence at his final plea hearing.
Zieler struck his counsel, Kevin Shirley, in the face with his elbow as the court upheld the decision on Monday. This was an unexpected act of action.
Apparently in an effort to speak privately with his attorney, Zieler asked for the cameras in the room to be turned off just before the attack.
However, instead of whispering, Zieler struck Shirley, prompting a swift response from three bailiffs who wrestled him to the ground before escorting him out of the courtroom.
Shirley, speaking about the incident, explained, “It seemed like he didn’t want our conversation to be picked up by the microphones. So he waved me down and I bent over, and he struck me.”
The attorney sustained the blow but assured the court that he had endured worse in the past, according to Fox 4.
Earlier in May, Zieler had received a death sentence from a jury in Lee County, Florida, after being convicted of raping and suffocating his two victims.
The arrest in 2016 marked a breakthrough in the cold case, 26 years after the brutal murders took place.
Despite his counsel’s appeal for a new trial during Monday’s appearance, the judge dismissed the motion and upheld the conviction, as reported by WPTV.
Following the attack, captured in viral footage, Lee Circuit Judge Robert Branning expressed concern for the attorney’s well-being, asking if he was okay.
Shirley responded that he had endured more severe blows before, displaying remarkable resilience in the face of the assault.
He tried to fight his lawyer after he lost his case 😭 https://t.co/frIDE9EYkZ
— Hood Comedy (@HoodComedyEnt) June 27, 2023