By C1 Staff
ROCKVILLE, Pa. — A $25,000 civil damage award issued against an inmate for an attack on a corrections officer has been upheld by the state Superior Court.
PennLive reports that Roland Kittrell punched corrections officer Lucas Nicholas in the face twice during an argument, breaking several bones in Nicholas’ face. His nose was also broken.
Kittrell was serving out a robbery sentence at the time of the assault; he also suffered a broken nose when responding officers subdued him.
Nicholas sued Kittrell in 2010, seeking $50,000 in damages for assault and battery. Kittrell countered with his own claims that he had been the victim of assault, battery and excessive use of force.
County Judge Thomas King Kistler ordered Kittrell to pay the $25,000 to Nicholas following a nonjury trial.
Kittrell appealed, arguing that he wasn’t competent to participate in the one-day civil trial due to mental health issues. He claimed that the judge’s decision was contrary to the evidence presented, and that he should have had a lawyer appointed to represent him.
The Superior Court ruled that given the “straightforward” evidence in the case, it was unlikely that the outcome of the trial would have been different had a lawyer been appointed for Kittrell. The facts justified the ruling in favor of Nicholas.
Kittrell was also sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison for attacking Nicholas, after a jury convicted him of aggravated assault.