Oh poop! I guess you can represent yourself now…

We’ve all had those clients who didn’t trust us, didn’t like us, kept asking for a different lawyer, or wanted to represent themselves. Such clients can be tough to deal with and many a judge is reluctant to grant their wish to represent themselves. But few clients will go so far as to actually smear feces on their lawyer’s face!

A defendant who wanted his public defender removed from the case will get his wish after smearing feces on his lawyer’s face and flinging the material at jurors.

Weusi McGowan was on trial in San Diego for a home invasion and robbery when he brought in a baggie filled with excrement during a midmorning break, City Wire reports in a story posted on 10News.com and SanDiego6.com.

McGowan smeared the feces on the face and in the hair of Deputy Alternate Public Defender Jeffrey Martin, then flung the material toward the jurors, the story says.

The excrement missed Juror No. 9 but hit his briefcase.

Judge Jeffrey Fraser had denied McGowan’s request to represent himself, the story says. The judge declared a mistrial and said McGowan would have to get a new lawyer.

Next time your client says he wants to represent himself you might want to try harder to get the judge to let him. Yikes.

(Also of potential interest: The comments also link to a video from last October of a Connecticut judge cussing out a trooper and using racial epithets as she’s booked for DUI.)

UPDATE: Lawyer has sympathy  for client who smeared him with feces.