An Eva man accused of attacking a Limestone County judge at a Hartselle soccer game more than a year ago intends to appeal the 180-day jail sentence, fines totaling $1,000, and court costs he received Friday, a court official said.
William “Cliff” Sanders was convicted of third-degree assault, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct, all misdemeanor offenses, following a bench trial in Morgan County District Court with appointed Circuit Judge Eddie Hardaway.
He is accused of assaulting Limestone County Circuit Judge Bob Baker on March 27, 2008, while Baker was watching his daughter play in a soccer match between Athens and Brewer at the Brewer High stadium.
On Friday, following testimony and exhibits — including photographs of Baker’s injuries — Hardaway found Sanders guilty on all three counts, a court official said.
On the charge of reckless endangerment, Sanders was sentenced to one year in jail and ordered to pay a $500 fine plus court costs. But the jail sentence was split, and Hardaway suspended all but 90 days.
On the charge of third-degree assault, Sanders was sentenced to one year in jail and ordered to pay a $250 fine plus court costs. The judge also suspended all but 90 days of that sentence.
One the charge of disorderly conduct, Sanders received a $250 fine and was ordered to pay court costs.
Sanders was sentenced to serve the 180 days in the Morgan County Jail. However, he was not jailed following the conviction because he intends to appeal the verdict to the Morgan County Circuit Court. His attorney is W. Dale Jones Jr. of Birmingham.
No appeal bond has been set. Hardaway will determined the amount of the bond and inform the District Court. He may allow the cash bond Sanders posted on the District Court charges to stand for the appeal bond.
Incident
Baker said he and other parents were sitting in the bleachers watching the game when a man began yelling. Baker said a mother of an Athens player said aloud, “Stop whining.”
Baker said the man made vile and obscene comments to the mother, so he stood up and turned around to tell the man to stop or he would call the police. Before he could finish his sentence, Baker said the man screamed, “Do you want a piece of me?” Baker said the man then dove at him, hitting him in the chest and knocking him backward down the bleachers. The man dove on top of him and drew back as if to strike him, Baker said.
When other Athens fathers attempted to restrain the man, Baker said the man began fighting them. At some point, the man left the scene, Baker said.
Morgan County sheriff’s deputies later identified the man as Sanders.
Baker sustained a cut on his back and was sore the following day because of the attack, he said.
Sanders, who told deputies he was not injured, gave deputies a different account of how the incident started and how it escalated.
Delay
It took a year and seven months for the case to finally come to trial, mainly because Morgan County District Court judges declined to hear the case because they know Baker. Hardaway was called in from another county to hear the case and the trial was set for June 15. However, it had to be postponed until Oct. 30 because the prosecutor had a baby.
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