SAN DIEGO — A defendant in a San Diego criminal trial used a razor blade Thursday to slash his defense lawyer in the face in front of jurors and more than a dozen Grossmont High School students who were there on a field trip.
Defense attorney William Burgener was cut on the cheek around 10:20 a.m. in Superior Court with a blade that the defendant had reportedly hidden in his mouth. Burgener represented one of three men on trial in an attempted murder case.
The defendants are alleged to be members of the Mexican Mafia prison gang.
Burgener was taken out of Courtroom 25 on a gurney with a bandage wrapped around his head. He was sitting up and talking as the gurney was rolled away.
Jurors were taken to an adjacent courtroom and interviewed, while the students were questioned in another part of the downtown courthouse.
When speaking to the jurors later, Judge Peter Deddeh — who is presiding over the trial — said he has been handling criminal cases for 30 years as a lawyer and judge, and had never witnessed such an incident.
“Most of us have not experienced something like this,” Deddeh said.
It was not immediately clear how a jail inmate could have smuggled a razor blade past the sheriff’s deputies who handle courthouse security.
Sheriff’s Department officials declined to discuss the incident specifically, noting that an investigation is ongoing, but said all inmates are searched before being transported to court.
“If something like this happens, we certainly want to take every precaution we can,” said Capt. Dave Moss of the sheriff’s Court Services Bureau.
After the slashing, Burgener called the courtroom and spoke to defense attorney Stephen Cline, who is expected to take over the case for him. Cline said Burgener was stable, and doctors were evaluating his wound to determine the best treatment.
The attack occurred as the last witness was testifying at the trial, said court spokeswoman Karen Dalton. Deputies subdued the defendant and cleared the courtroom.
The defendants — Eduardo Macias, 32; Geronimo Polina, 35; and Lionel Quinteros, 26 — are accused in a prison attack at Donovan state prison in Otay Mesa. They face charges including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon by a prisoner and conspiracy, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Burgener, a veteran defense lawyer who has been practicing since 1979, represented Macias.
The judge ordered the attorneys to return to court Friday morning, when he will decide whether the trial will continue.
One of the defense lawyers said his client wants to go forward with closing arguments. Another asked for a mistrial. The prosecutor asked for time to conduct research and figure out how to proceed.
About 100 Grossmont High School seniors were on a field trip to the courthouse Thursday, according to Grossmont Union High School District Superintendent Ralph Swenson. About 10 to 15 students were in the courtroom where the slashing occurred, but all of the students on the trip were safe and no one was injured, Swenson said.
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