By Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First
ST. ALBANS — A West Enosburgh man, who is accused of killing his father with a baseball bat and beating his mother, is now under investigation for a violent assault on a prison guard in St. Albans Town, officials said.
Jordan E. Lawyer, who authorities say has a long history of mental health issues, has since been transferred from the Northwest State Correctional Facility to the Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital in Berlin.
Lawyer, 29, pleaded not guilty in Vermont Superior Court on Monday Oct. 7 to a variety of criminal charges, including second-degree murder of his father, Todd Lawyer, and aggravated domestic assault on his mother, Robin Lawyer.
The charges followed a brutal, bloody attack with a baseball bat at their West Enosburgh home. They came home from work and found their adult son, Jordan, burning some of their property, police said.
Vermont State Police said Friday that Lawyer, after appearing by video from the prison for his arraignment, became combative when he was being led back to his cell by a corrections officer.
During the altercation, Lawyer, who was handcuffed, managed to kick the guard in the head while they were both on the floor, VSP spokesman Adam Silverman said.
The guard was taken to the Northwestern Medical Center for his injuries, he said.
The incident was captured on the prison’s security video, Silverman said.
Lawyer appeared a little unhappy during his video arraignment. He initially said he did not want to be arraigned by video and wanted to appear in person at the state courthouse on Lake Street. When Judge Alison Arms offered to postpone the hearing for a day to allow the sheriff’s department to transport him, Lawyer did not appear happy with that plan. After a private consultation off camera with his public defender, Lawyer agreed to proceed by video.
Veteran Prison Superintendent Greg Hale confirmed for Vermont News First that custody of Lawyer has been transferred to the Department of Mental Health.
DMH operates a 25-bed facility in Washington County to deal with serious mental health cases. It was built after the 125-bed Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury, which handled criminally insane cases and those with mild to severe mental disabilities, closed due to flooding from Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.
Public records show Lawyer was transferred to the hospital in Berlin the afternoon of Oct. 10.
Lawyer had been held at the prison in St. Albans since his arrest after the homicide on Oct. 4.
Hale said he could only confirm there had been a recent violent attack at the prison and that it had been referred to the Vermont State Police for investigation.
Hale said the guard has since returned to work.
Franklin County State’s Attorney Bram Kranichfeld said he was unable to comment about the reported assault.
Todd Lawyer, 54, died from blunt force trauma to the head by a baseball bat, while his wife, Robin Lawyer, 58, was seriously injured and was taken Northwest Medical Center in St. Albans.
Kranichfeld had successfully argued that Jordan Lawyer needed to be held without bail because he was a serious danger to the community.
Judge Arms agreed.
Kranichfeld had noted Lawyer had two earlier violent attacks on his parents before the incident this month that led to his latest jailing.
In both earlier cases Lawyer was found incompetent to stand trial. A judge ordered him freed in both cases after the Department of Mental Health urged the court to issue non-hospitalization mental health orders. The criminal charges were dropped.
Judge Arms also agreed at the arraignment for a new psychiatric evaluation requested by Kranichfeld.
Public Defender Paul Groce said the defense also planned to get its own competency test.
Kranichfeld said at the hearing the evidence is strong. He said the prosecution would rely on a statement from Robin Lawyer that Jordan Lawyer had attacked them. Kranichfeld also said Robin Lawyer made an excited utterance to a neighbor that her son was responsible.
He also said Jordan Lawyer made an admission about the attack with the bat.
The statements made by Robin Lawyer are supported by the evidence collected by police and the findings of the medical examiner, the veteran prosecutor said.