EVERETT — A man accused of stabbing three of his attorneys and stuck representing himself at trial was convicted of drug possession Thursday.
Joshua Monson, 28, acted as his own lawyer after Snohomish County Superior Court Judge David Kurtz ruled that he’d forfeited his right to legal counsel by alleged repeated attacks on three attorneys assigned to him with pencils and a pen.
A standby defense attorney from King County sat through the hearings to answer Monson’s legal questions.
For Thursday’s verdict, Monson remained in a restraint chair and was circled by Snohomish County corrections officers.
Kurtz earlier this week ordered that the restraint chair was necessary after other restrictive measures, such as an electric stun cuff, failed to stop Monson from acting out in court.
Monson maintained that he’d been framed.
In his testimony, Monson denied possessing drugs. He said that before police arrived, his friends handed him a bag of rock salt. He alleged that police misidentified the substance as methamphetamine.
After the jury left the courtroom Thursday afternoon, Monson looked at Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Christo Sedgewick.
“Congratulations,” Monson said with a smirk.
Monson wasn’t allowed a pen or pencil to sign court documents.
He looked around the mostly empty courtroom as Snohomish County corrections officers wheeled him out.
His sentencing on the drug conviction is set for Dec. 5.
That won’t be the end of his legal woes, however.
Monson also still faces a second-degree murder charge connected to the Jan. 2 shooting of Brian Jones, 30, who was killed while talking on a cellphone in a south Everett apartment.
Monson’s mental state was called into question after he attacked his first attorney in May at the start of the initial drug possession trial. He was given a new lawyer. Within days, he allegedly attacked that man during a court hearing. On Tuesday, Monson allegedly grabbed his lawyer’s pen and stabbed the man in the side of the head. None of the lawyers were seriously hurt.
Monson has been charged with two counts of fourth-degree assault for the attorney stabbings. He also is accused of assaulting two corrections officers.
State doctors have concluded that Monson is competent to stand trial.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
