by Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First

A version of this story has appeared in the Caledonian-Record.

An Enosburg man pleaded not guilty Monday afternoon to a variety of criminal charges, including second-degree murder of his father and aggravated domestic assault on his mother in a brutal, bloody attack with a baseball bat at their West Enosburgh home on Friday.

Jordan E. Lawyer, 29, appeared by video in Vermont Superior Court from the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans Town, where he was jailed late Friday night.

Franklin County State’s Attorney Bram Kranichfeld successfully argued that Lawyer be held without bail. The defense did not object.

Judge Alison Arms also agreed with a request for a psychiatric evaluation.

Arms did agree to schedule a weight of the evidence hearing to determine if the jailing without bail should continue pending trial.

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 to Northwest Vermont Medical Center in St. Albans.

Kranichfeld noted that 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 veteran prosecutor said evidence collected by police and the findings of the medical examiner all confirmed the statements by Robin Lawyer.

Jordan Lawyer initially told the court he was interested in having his arraignment in person at the courthouse on Lake Street. The judge said that would mean a one-day delay. After conferring with his public defender, Lawyer agreed to proceed by video.

Lawyer also is facing felony charges of attempting to elude police and aggravated assault for driving into a game warden’s vehicle at the end of the chase. He pleaded not guilty to those counts.

A bloodied bat either fell or dropped out of the vehicle after Lawyer crashed his vehicle on Main Street in Enosburgh about 11:20 a.m. Friday, police said. He surrendered after being hit with either rubber bullets or bean bags.

Kranichfeld noted Lawyer has at least two previous assaults on his parents where the criminal charges were dropped and there were non-hospitalization mental health orders.

Vermont News First reported on Friday that Lawyer has a long history of mental health issues and was found incompetent to stand trial in Vermont Superior Court for a March 2022 charge of aggravated domestic on his parents, who survived that attack.