Opinion ID: 2624500
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Assault on Patricia Robinson

Text: On a Sunday morning in September 1980, defendant assaulted Patricia Robinson, a paralegal hired to assist Ryan in the pending capital trial. Robinson had visited defendant numerous times to help prepare for trial and met with him in the attorney visiting room. At the end of the visit that morning, as Robinson got up to leave, defendant grabbed her and said, No, no. Stay longer. She again tried to leave and defendant blocked her exit. He grew agitated and said, Well, I could rape you. She kicked the arch of his foot and punched him, but he did not respond. She started yelling for help from the guards and tried to pull aside the privacy curtain that was covering the window in the door. Defendant slammed her against the window and put his hands around her neck and mouth, and Robinson started to lose consciousness. Defendant had control of her arms and legs, but she managed to bite his finger. Defendant released her and said, You bit me, I'm bleeding. Robinson managed to leave the room, and thereafter had bruises on her arm, legs and throat. She testified she thought she would die that day.
On October 8, 1980, defendant assaulted San Diego County Sheriff's Deputies William Hanson and Johnnie Christiansen in his cell at the San Diego County Jail. Defendant refused to get out of bed to come to court. When one of the deputies pulled off defendant's blanket, defendant leaped up, backed into the corner and assumed a fighting stance with his arms and fists raised. He told the deputies, If you want . . . me to go to court you're going to have to take me to court. The deputies grabbed defendant, forced him out of the cell and up against a wall, and placed waist and leg chains on him. Defendant resisted and struggled before the officers gained control. As the deputies led defendant down the hall, he continued to resist and spat on Hanson's face.