California defendant on trial for murder allegedly stabs his attorney with pen, charges toward prosecutor

Two attorneys were injured on Monday in a Martinez, California, courtroom after a man on trial for murder allegedly used a pen to stab his own defense lawyer before subsequently charging the prosecutor.

Ramello Randle, 28, allegedly broke or cut through a restraint device keeping him in a courtroom chair before he used his lawyer's pen to stab the lawyer in his face and head, according to the East Bay Times. Randle then charged the prosecutor, who suffered a scratch on his hand.

The defendant was stopped when a courtroom deputy tackled him and arrested him.

Officials later found a handwritten note Randle allegedly wrote before the attack that read, "sorry."

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Defense lawyer Matthew Fregi was treated at the courthouse for stab wounds. The scratch on Deputy District Attorney Kevin Bell's hand was also examined. Witnesses said Bell swung back at Randle after he was scratched.

"This morning at about 10:54, during a homicide trial at the A.F. Bray Courthouse in Martinez, inmate Ramello Randle attacked his attorney with a pen," the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office told Fox News Digital. "28-year-old Randle of Oakland then went to attack the District Attorney, who was able to push him off. The courtroom was immediately cleared. The fire department responded to assess both of the attorneys, who refused medical attention."

Randle was transported back to the Martinez Detention Facility, where he will face additional charges including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and battery, the sheriff's office said.

Fregi, Bell and Randle are scheduled to return to court on Tuesday to continue the trial.

The incident happened in front of a Contra Costa jury that will determine whether Randle is guilty on charges for allegedly murdering his ex-girlfriend and attempting to murder a man amid a child custody dispute in 2020. Jurors are scheduled to hear closing arguments this week.

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Randle is accused of working with another man, Christopher Slaughter, to kill 24-year-old Jonaye Lahkel Bridges, the mother of Randle’s child. Prosecutors said Randle placed a tracking device on Bridges' car, followed her to a convenience store in Antioch and shot at her and a man she was with, killing Bridges.

The evidence against Randle allegedly includes text messages, location trackers and fingerprints on the suspected murder weapon.

Following the attack in court, Fregi told the East Bay Times over the phone he was "fine."

"It was no big deal," he said.

Randle's lack of courtroom decorum has already caused one mistrial in November 2022, the East Bay Times reported. The case was days away from concluding when Randle shouted expletives at Bell during the cross-examination of Randle's mother, a defense witness. Randle then told Judge Charles "Ben" Burch to "shut up, I'm not your b----" when the judge attempted to control the situation.

Burch removed Randle's ability to serve as his own lawyer and declared a mistrial the following day. Fregi started as Randle's attorney after a September 2023 hearing where Randle allegedly took a swing at attorney Lawrence Strauss, who was uninjured in the incident.

Later on Monday, Fregi said he's "hopeful we can finish what we started six weeks ago."

"I harbor no ill will toward Mr. Randle because he was in a position to do a lot more damage to me than he did, had he felt so inclined," Fregi said. "And I'm glad that I got the worst of it because it reinforces the fact that it was done as a means to an end."