SYRACUSE, N.Y. – A New York rape defendant was tossed from court after an outburst that included flipping a table during jury selection.
The man accused of raping a 74-year-old woman was tossed from the courtroom Monday after he picked up the table at which his defense team was sitting and launched it in the direction of prosecutors. His actions capped a series of volatile eruptions that disrupted the jury selection proceedings.
Shamik King, 30, was removed from the Syracuse courtroom at around 11:30 a.m. after he hurled a wooden table toward the prosecution team’s table, sending splinters flying, reported The Post-Standard.
King, who’s accused of raping an elderly woman on Aug. 19, 2018 at the Skyline Apartments, is charged with rape, burglary and assault and was in court as part of jury selection in the case.
According to The Post-Standard, King had several outbursts during the proceedings and was warned several times by County Court Judge Stephen Dougherty that, if he continued, he would be removed from court and that the trial would continue without him.
And that’s exactly what happened after Monday’s incident. King was removed from court, the damaged tables were placed back in their respective areas, and the jury selection process resumed.
King was set to appear in court Tuesday for opening statements. Nevertheless, it was not immediately clear if he was present.
If convicted, the table-tossing-rape defendant could face up to 25 years in prison.
