In the aftermath of a brawl that erupted in a Long Island courtroom and injured court officers, six men face charges of rioting and criminal contempt.
Immediately after the arraignment Friday morning in Nassau County District Court in Hempstead of a 20-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a 17-year-old teenager, an unidentified onlooker's shout of support for the defendant, Pedro Merchant, reportedly sparked shouting and punches between the sides. Six men were arrested and four people hurt, including two court officers. One was treated at the scene and another was released from the hospital later that day (NYLJ, Sept. 23).
