Judge Who Was Shot At in Courtroom Files Suit Against Alleged Assailant
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VISALIA, Calif. — Only two days after a bullet whizzed past his head, Tulare County Superior Court Judge Howard Broadman sued the man accused of shooting at him.
Broadman’s attorney, Lloyd Hicks, filed suit a civil suit Wednesday against Harry Raymond Bodine.
Hicks said Thursday that the judge wants compensation for mental, physical and nervous pain he suffered Monday when a bullet fired in his courtroom narrowly missed his head. Bodine was arrested at the scene and has been charged with attempted assassination of a public official.
Authorities believe that Bodine, a foe of abortion, was upset over Broadman’s ordering the long-lasting birth control device Norplant for a woman convicted of child abuse.
The lawsuit was filed quickly in an attempt to tie up Bodine’s 29-acre walnut ranch near Tulare and show that a civil action seeking money damages can be filed as well as criminal charges in assault cases, Hicks said.
“We’re asking that a . . . trust be put on the real property for the benefit of Judge Broadman,” Hicks said.
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