Page 2 - Fred Abdullah News Today

Upset and terribly angry, but i had never seen a physical altercation between a victims family member and the defendant. i was terrified for him that he might get hurt as the officers tried to subdue him. and my honest thought was that he might try to kill the defendant. >> others in the courtroom fear the same thing. >> i thought that this was going to be a disaster, and it was. i saw mr. swetts hand moving to try to get to the sheriffs weapon. the sheriff was able to restrain him, and he did n...

>> you have a situation of different socioeconomic statuses, and you have a racial divide, and that really played out in this particular case. >> the judge orders all family members out of the courtroom. swett is taken to the sheriffs office and released after 45 minutes. >> we have charged mr. swett with possibly disorderly conduct in a courtroom. probably could have. would it be the wise thing to do? no. and, like i said, i would have done the same thing, and im sure a lot of fathers out there...

Cliffords sentencing. >> you have 33 years that will be spent behind bars. im sorry, but i pray that those years will be full of immense pain and torture for you. >> the father takes his turn, giving his victim impact statement. michael swett walks to the witness stand with a photo of his son. >> and then he got closer, and he was standing at the table. he held that picture right in front of the defendant, in front of antonio clifford, and said, do you know this face? >> and then swetts pent-up ...

Sentencing hearings, and i have had family members be terribly upset and terribly angry, but i had never seen a physical altercation between a victims family member and the defendant. i was terrified for him that he might get hurt as the officers tried to subdue him. and my honest thought was that he might try to kill the defendant. >> others in the courtroom fear the same thing. >> i thought that this was going to be a disaster, and it was. i saw mr. swetts hand moving to try to get to the sher...

>> i thought that this was going to be a disaster, and it was. i saw mr. swetts hand moving to try to get to the sheriffs weapon. the sheriff was able to restrain him, and he did not get his hand on the sheriffs weapon, which was holstered. >> clifford cant defend himself. hes handcuffed and remains silent during the struggle. >> he never moved. he never said a word. he never backed off. he never looked afraid. he just simply sat there. and even afterwards when they brought him back into the cou...

Supporters of the defendant start a yelling match. >> you have a situation of different socioeconomic statuses, and you have a racial divide, and that really played out in this particular case. >> the judge orders all family members out of the courtroom. swett is taken to the sheriffs office and released after 45 minutes. >> we have charged mr. swett with possibly disorderly conduct in a courtroom. probably could have. would it be the wise thing to do? no. and, like i said, i would have done the...

Impact statements before cliffords sentencing. >> you have 33 years that will be spent behind bars. im sorry, but i pray that those years will be full of immense pain and torture for you. >> the father takes his turn, giving his victim impact statement. michael swett walks to the witness stand with a photo of his son. >> and then he got closer, and he was standing at the table. he held that picture right in front of the defendant, in front of antonio clifford, and said, do you know this face? >>...

Murder is 20-year-old antonio clifford. family members are giving victim impact statements before cliffords sentencing. >> you have 33 years that will be spent behind bars. im sorry, but i pray that those years will be full of immense pain and torture for you. >> the father takes his turn, giving his victim impact statement. michael swett walks to the witness stand with a photo of his son. >> and then he got closer, and he was standing at the table. he held that picture right in front of the def...

Through, the hurt. >> i have done a lot of sentencing hearings, and i have had family members be terribly upset and terribly angry, but i had never seen a physical altercation between a victims family member and the defendant. i was terrified for him that he might get hurt as the officers tried to subdue him. and my honest thought was that he might try to kill the defendant. >> others in the courtroom fear the same thing. >> i thought that this was going to be a disaster, and it was. i saw mr. s...

Makes it a point to come over, and she starts pointing her finger at him and starts saying something again, and thats when a racial slur came out. >> whatever restraint was there disappears. supporters of the victim and supporters of the defendant start a yelling match. >> you have a situation of different socioeconomic statuses, and you have a racial divide, and that really played out in this particular case. >> the judge orders all family members out of the courtroom. swett is taken to the she...