USA: Man who punched lawyer in court, blinding him in one eye, indicted in Hill County, Texas

A Hill County man set for trial last month for assaulting his grandmother who sucker punched his attorney in the eye before jury selection began was indicted Friday on a first-degree felony charge.

A Hill County grand jury indicted Christopher Donte Loud, 39, on an aggravated assault on a public servant causing serious bodily injury charge.

Loud’s shocking attack on his attorney, Pat Dohoney, Dec. 16 played out before a panel of 80 potential jurors who were sitting in the courtroom, a number of deputies and court employees and Hill County District Attorney Mark Pratt, who was sitting at an adjacent counsel table.

The assault, which was captured on two courtroom security cameras, occurred as jury selection was about to begin in Loud’s burglary of a habitation case and injured the 63-year-old Dohoney so badly that he permanently lost sight in his left eye.

The blow fractured Dohoney’s orbital socket and ruptured the back of his eyeball, Pratt said.

Loud can be seen on video being escorted into the courtroom by two deputies while Dohoney was reading documents at the counsel table. As Loud approaches the table, he winds up like a pitcher delivering a fast ball and hammers Dohoney with a staggering roundhouse right.

The deputies quickly subdued Loud and carried the devastated Dohoney into the chambers of former 66th State District Judge Lee Harris, who was in his office when the attack occurred.

USA: Man who punched lawyer in court, blinding him in one eye, indicted in Hill County, Texas