Defendant tried to charge at judge, cops say

Disorder in the court reigned Saturday in Hempstead when a defendant being arraigned tried to charge at the judge, Nassau County police said.

In the melee, a police officer and a court officer, both women, were hurt, and the defendant, Ivan Lassiter, 45, of Freeport, now faces additional criminal charges, police said.

Police did not identify the judge, but court records show that the 5-foot-8, 160-pound Lassiter was before Judge Sharon Gianelli on Saturday at First District Court to be arraigned on charges of resisting arrest, a misdemeanor, and disorderly conduct, a violation.

Lassiter, of 30 W. Milton St., was being arraigned on the charges when he "became irate and physically violent and attempted to charge at the sitting judge," police said. He knocked over an officer and the court stenographer and damaged the $5,000 stenography machine, police said.

During the late-morning struggle, the police officer hurt her neck, back and left wrist and went to the hospital but was later released. The court officer declined to be treated at court. The judge wasn't hurt, a police spokesman said Saturday night.

On the resisting arrest and disorderly conduct charges Lassiter was ordered held on $500,000 bail, according to court records.

Police say he will be back before a judge Sunday in the same courthouse, at 99 Main St., to face the new charges - assault, criminal mischief and contempt of court, all in the second degree.

Court spokesman David Bookstaver said he didn't immediately have information about the incident.

Court records list no attorney for Lassiter.