Miscellaneous

Judge Sues Sniper, Defense Lawyer "Mystified"

By Walter Olson, Ted Frank, and David Nieporent

A family court judge who was shot in his chambers by a man whose bitter divorce he was handling has sued the gunman, seeking damages totaling more than $100,000.

Mack, a former pawn shop owner who shot the judge through a window at the courthouse in a sniper-style attack, was sentenced this month to life in prison for fatally stabbing his estranged wife, Charla Mack, in June 2006. He was also sentenced to a concurrent 40 years for shooting the judge the same day.

Also addressed in the suit are unnamed "Doe" conspirators who "aided, counseled, encouraged and assisted and participated" with Mack in carrying out the attacks.

Mack's civil lawyer, Mark Wray, said the suit "mystified" him. Mack has long since lost the fortune he earned from the pawn shop, and his client's 9-year-old daughter is getting the last of it, Wray said.

Mystified, is he? Maybe it has something to do with the conspirators.
(News Observer Feb. 23)

Full post as published by Overlawyered on February 25, 2008 (boomark / email).