Prosecutor attacked in court

Erica D. Johnson

Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2003 | 11:05 a.m.

The man convicted of killing a mother of four attacked a Clark County prosecutor on Monday moments after jurors announced a guilty verdict.

Taiwan Allen, 29, punched Deputy District Attorney David Stanton in the back of the head shortly after jurors convicted him of first-degree murder in the death of 30-year-old Yashoma Clemons.

The attack occurred Monday in the courtroom of District Judge Donald Mosley. Stanton was transported to University Medical Center by ambulance after the incident.

District Attorney David Roger said late Monday that Stanton was hurt, but that the extent of his injuries were unknown.

"They are taking him to UMC for observation," he said.

Stanton was treated and released from UMC, Roger said this morning, but he would not detail the injuries, citing privacy concerns.

Allen was taken to the Clark County Detention Center after the incident, court officials said.

Allen will face additional charges that could include intimidating a public officer, battery by a prisoner and battery causing substantial bodily harm, Roger said.

Allen lunged at Stanton and punched him in the back of the head as his attorney, Frederick Santacroce, began leading him out of a side door of the courtroom.

Bailiffs were directing Allen away from the prosecutors' table when Allen lunged at Stanton. The attack caused Stanton to hit his head on a table.

Several court bailiffs and state corrections officers grabbed Allen and tackled him to the ground. Allen continued to struggle with bailiffs and to shout expletives at them even after he was restrained.

Chairs in the courtroom were broken as a result of the struggle.

When asked whether corrections officers erred in the way Allen was transported from the courtroom, Roger replied, "I don't have enough information to say at this time."

Chief Deputy District Attorney Vickie Monroe, who had tried the case with Stanton, was standing next to Stanton when he was attacked but she was not hurt.

Monroe appeared to still be shaken when she spoke to the Sun after the incident.

"I've never had anything like this happen before," she said.

"It's a prosecutor's worst nightmare," she told reporters.

The penalty phase of Allen's case will continue as scheduled at 1:30 p.m. today, Roger said this morning. Another prosecutor from the same unit will replace Stanton for the penalty phase, Roger said.

Court spokesman Michael Sommermeyer said this morning that Mosley will have a brief hearing before the start of the penalty phase to "ascertain the demeanor of the defendant to see if they can proceed."

Monroe said information regarding the attack on Stanton would be presented to jurors during the penalty phase. Jurors were out of the courtroom when the attack occurred.

Jurors convicted Allen after deliberating for most of Monday. Jurors were prohibited from speaking about the case until after the penalty hearing.

Prosecutors said Allen gunned Clemons down in a jealous rage after Clemons told him she wanted to reunite with her ex-husband. Clemons was shot once in the chest and twice in the head.

Santacroce had argued that Allen shot Clemons in self-defense after the two engaged in a gun battle in the master bedroom of the home they shared near Hollywood Boulevard.

Clemons' four children, ages 15 months to 9 years, were in the house with her for five days before she was discovered.

Allen faces a sentence of life in prison with or without parole.