Lawyer in Coma After Post Court Case Beating
A lawyer in Taoyuan was beaten up near the Taoyuan District Court yesterday, September 18, by the man he had just faced in court. The 60 year-old lawyer, Mr Ju, was rushed to hospital unconscious, and remains in a coma in the intensive care unit of a local hospital after undergoing brain surgery.
Mr Ju had faced 43 year-old Mr Wu in court over a NT$150,000 debt Wu owed to Ju. Wu had offered items as security and compensation for the debt. However, Ju had called the items “worthless,” and rejected Wu’s offer.
The disgruntled Mr Wu left court and went to a breakfast store about 50 meters away from the court entrance.
Some minutes later, Mr Ju passed by the store. The two men began to argue and an altercation ensued. Mr Ju was left unconscious on the ground, while Wu suffered injuries to his hands.
Both men were sent to a local hospital, and Wu was arrested and charged with attempted murder. Wu was later released on bail, but restricted to his residence. According to China Times, the judge ruled a NT$150,000 bail, but Wu complained that he was unable to raise that much. Later in the evening the judge dropped the bail requirement to NT$80,000, much to the consternation of prosecutors and lawyers.
The Taoyuan District Bar Association issued a statement today condemning the violence and calling it intolerable. The statement offered condolences to Ju’s family and wished him a speedy recovery. They reminded lawyers to pay attention to their personal safety.
The statement also made reference to a case in July when a lawyer and his client were run down and killed by the client’s husband after a divorce hearing a court in Tainan in July this year.
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