Posted on 12/09/2007 6:49:58 AM PST by Daffynition
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. -- First, a homeless child rape suspect turned violent in a Seminole County courtroom. Then he was forced to wear a mask on his face to keep him from spitting, before the jury returned a guilty verdict late Thursday afternoon.
Antonio Rosales is accused of raping a 10-year-old girl. Before court could even begin Thursday, a judge had to decide if Rosales was competent to stand trial after a violent outburst Wednesday.
After a brief hearing Thursday, Rosales told a judge he wanted to be left out of the courtroom because he said he might lash out again. Initially, a team of deputies brought 41-year-old Antonio Rosales into the courtroom wearing a bizarre mesh head-covering and a mask. Authorities said they put it on him after he threatened to spit at people.
It was the second strange scene in two days. Wednesday afternoon, Rosales erupted in the courtroom as prosecutor Anna Valentini made her closing argument.
The illegal immigrant from Guatemala is on trial for the attempted murder and sexual battery of a 10-year-old girl in Casselberry in 2003. A court appointed doctor said Rosales was insulted by the allegation he's a child molester.
"This is someone who told me that was he is insulted," court-appointed doctor Jeffrey Danziger said.
Despite the outburst, the judge found Rosales competent to continue his trial. During that hearing, extra deputies surrounded Rosales, who promised to behave.
But, before the jury returned, Rosales asked to stay out of the courtroom so he wouldn't hear the same disturbing details of how prosecutors say he pulled a girl into the woods and tried to kill her four years ago.
"He strangled her so much it left bruises on her face and insect bites all over her body," Anna Valentini said in court Thursday.
Late Thursday afternoon, the jury returned a guilty verdict against Rosales on charges of kidnapping, attempted murder and sexual battery after deliberating for around two hours. Rosales faces a mandatory life sentence, but has to stand trial for murder in Arizona.
Fortunately I taught in TX (not a union state) and now I teach in FL, which is union, but I teach in a private/Christian school, so they have never had their hooks in me. I doubt they could change my politics anyway, I’m pretty old and set in my ways (plus I’m a real Texan, and you know what THAT means!)
;)
susie
He's even talking about going to Seattle! (That's a girl thing though.) ;)
Oh, those dratted girls can make them do crazy things (I have 3 sons).
But, I think people tend to come back to their *roots* politically, so there is probably hope for him anyway.
susie
Every time I make a comment along the lines of "You'll have Mom rolling over in her grave", he comes back with something like, "Well, something has to keep the world turning".
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