A judge in upstate New York was the target of a recent vicious act of violence when somebody — police are still searching the identity of the attacker — choked him and whacked him on the head with a toilet tank lid while he locked up court.
Police in the village of Waterloo, a community in Seneca County, say Judge Roger Barto was locking up after an arraignment and was hit from behind, The Associated Press reported. The attacker found the toilet tank lid in a trash barrel, where it had been tossed during recent court renovations.
Authorities discovered Mr. Barto near the front door of the courtroom, stretched on the floor. He was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital in nearby Rochester, and was listed in guarded condition, AP reported.
Mr. Barto had been hearing arraignments for serious traffic violations. Police aren’t working off the assumption the attack was tied to those arraignments. But so far, they have not arrested anybody.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.