Judge joins Chicago courtroom brawl

CHICAGO, June 24 (UPI) -- A Chicago lawyer is in serious condition Tuesday after an accused man went berserk and lashed out in a courtroom.

George Bonney was appearing for a charge of attempted robbery, when he began punching his assistant public defender, Richard Kruss, in the face.

He also turned on a prosecutor and a bailiff before Judge John Kirby swept over the bench in his robes and helped subdue Bonney along with a Chicago police officer, the Chicago Sun-Times said.

The public defender sustained a possible fractured skull. Witnesses said he began convulsing as soon as he hit the floor. A female sheriff's deputy was also sent to the hospial with a broken finger. The judge was not injured.

Bonney is being held in isolation for psychiatric assessment. He faces six counts of aggravated battery.