Assault Defendant Claims Insanity, Moons Jury
Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2003 8:56 am
Assault Defendant Claims Insanity, Moons Jury
POSTED: 3:12 p.m. EDT July 17, 2003
PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- An assault defendant punctuated his insanity defense by loudly hooting "cuckoo-cuckoo" and then dropping his pants to moon the jury.
A pair of bailiffs and two Bay County sheriff's deputies then pounced on Cornell Jackson and dragged him from the courtroom Wednesday with his buttocks exposed as he again shouted "cuckoo-cuckoo" and laughed. The trial continued Thursday.
Jackson, 29, of Panama City, has claimed insanity in two assault cases. He was convicted in April of aggravated battery and aggravated assault for a box-cutter attack on his then-girlfriend Kisha Smith on Jan. 21, 2000.
The second trial is for another alleged attack on Smith the next day. Jackson was accused of forcing his way into Smith's home and slashing her again with the box-cutter, this time causing cuts that took about 70 stitches to close.
Jackson had refused to attend his first trial. Defense lawyer Georgette Beller argued he had a personality disorder that caused him to attack Smith.
Beller asked for a mistrial after Wednesday's mooning incident. Circuit Judge Michael Overstreet rejected her motion and ordered that Jackson watch the rest of the trial from a holding cell over closed-circuit television
POSTED: 3:12 p.m. EDT July 17, 2003
PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- An assault defendant punctuated his insanity defense by loudly hooting "cuckoo-cuckoo" and then dropping his pants to moon the jury.
A pair of bailiffs and two Bay County sheriff's deputies then pounced on Cornell Jackson and dragged him from the courtroom Wednesday with his buttocks exposed as he again shouted "cuckoo-cuckoo" and laughed. The trial continued Thursday.
Jackson, 29, of Panama City, has claimed insanity in two assault cases. He was convicted in April of aggravated battery and aggravated assault for a box-cutter attack on his then-girlfriend Kisha Smith on Jan. 21, 2000.
The second trial is for another alleged attack on Smith the next day. Jackson was accused of forcing his way into Smith's home and slashing her again with the box-cutter, this time causing cuts that took about 70 stitches to close.
Jackson had refused to attend his first trial. Defense lawyer Georgette Beller argued he had a personality disorder that caused him to attack Smith.
Beller asked for a mistrial after Wednesday's mooning incident. Circuit Judge Michael Overstreet rejected her motion and ordered that Jackson watch the rest of the trial from a holding cell over closed-circuit television
