FILE — Tyreese Morris was held in contempt of court for disrupting the murder trial of his family member on Tuesday and received a sentence of seven days in jail on Thursday.
File photo | The Lima News
LIMA — A Lima man was sentenced to seven days in jail on Thursday for disrupting the murder trial of his family member earlier this week.
Tyreese Morris, 33, sat in the audience on Monday and Tuesday in support of Demarco Morris, who is accused of shooting a 25-year-old and killing him shortly after attacking his father.
During a police officer’s witness testimony on Tuesday, Tyreese Morris yawned very loudly and when an Allen County Sheriff’s Office Deputy placed his hand on his shoulder to ask him to be quiet, he yelled for the man to stop touching him.
Allen County Common Pleas Judge Terri Kohlrieser ordered his arrest when he continued to yell. When he was out in the hall, he could be heard yelling some more.
Kohlrieser said he was kicking the metal door of a holding cell, causing the banging noise that interrupted the playing of police body camera footage during the trial.
He had also argued with people there for the alleged victims of Demarco Morris, and was removed from the court room on Monday.
Later in the evening on Tuesday, the court attempted to hold a contempt hearing for the man, but he continuosly interrupted Kohlrieser and accused her of threatening him when she asked him to be quiet and allow her to speak.
A video call was set up so Tyreese Morris could hear the case against him with his microphone muted to avoid further disruptions, but it appeared he continued to yell. He shut the computer screen multiple times, disconnecting the call.
The hearing was continued to Thursday via video call.
At the start of the hearing, Tyreese Morris requested to speak privately with Steve Chamberlain, the public defender representing Demarco Morris in his trial.
The court was emptied to give the two some privacy, but learned upon reopening that Tyreese Morris had been advising Chamberlain on how to defend Demarco Morris in the trial. The jury in the case had already begun deliberations at that point.
Tyreese Morris continued to talk with his microphone muted when Kohlrieser began to explain the contempt charge, and quickly got up and left the room in which he was located. A corrections officer told the court the man had voluntarily declined to participate in the proceedings.
Tyreese Morris received three days of jail time credit for the time he was held on contempt. He will be released on Monday at 8 a.m.
