General brawl at Nice court during murder trial in Roma community
An assizes trial in Nice deteriorated into a family confrontation in the courtroom. A closed hearing was ordered following the incident.
Chaos at Nice assizes court: murder trial in Roma case turns to brawl
According to nicematin.com, a major brawl erupted on Tuesday morning in courtroom 4 of Nice tribunal during an assizes hearing, severely disrupting proceedings in a murder trial involving members of the travelling community.
From Monday 27 April through 5 May, three men are appearing for their roles in a tragedy that occurred in Villeneuve-Loubet on 2 August 2022. Jean Dubois, 58, is being tried for murder and attempted murder. Brothers Raymond and Richard Cano, aged 30 and 41 respectively, are facing charges of aggravated violence committed by a group.
The facts date back to that August day in 2022, around 12:40, at the Dubois family home on Avenue de la Bermone. What was meant to be an attempt at family mediation, in a context of separation and dispute over child custody, quickly escalated. Verbal exchanges gave way to blows, then the appearance of sharp weapons and the use of firearms. A woman was wounded in the shoulder. Pierre, a young man of 17, was shot in the abdomen and died from his injuries. Since then, each side has claimed to have acted in self-defence.
It was the hearing in court of the emergency calls made on the day of the tragedy that ignited tensions. The father of the victim, overwhelmed by emotion, verbally attacked Jean Dubois, whom he holds responsible for his son's death. His lawyer, Me Alexandre de Vita, had to intervene physically to restrain him.
In the public gallery, members of both families — who had come in numbers to support their relatives — clashed. At that moment, only two national police officers were ensuring courtroom security and were quickly overwhelmed by the chaos. The lawyer for the main accused, Me Régine Ciccolini, was herself attacked and struck in the chest by a water bottle.
Upon resumption after the lunch break, the security arrangements were reinforced. Judge Ludovic Leclerc immediately raised the possibility of a closed hearing. The public prosecutor Karim Mameri supported this option, denouncing behaviour he described as "inadmissible" and "extreme violence".
After a brief suspension of proceedings, the court decided to continue debates without the public. Me Ciccolini deemed this decision "unavoidable". Me Gérard Baudoux, however, opposed it, arguing that the "peak" of tension had been reached and that the hearing could have resumed in a calmer atmosphere. The civil claimant chose to defer to the court's assessment.
Source: Google News MA — Crime (fr)