Yahoo News, from Edna, Texas, has reported that a defense attorney has requested that his client, a man accused for serial rape, will be handcuffed and shackled during his trial to protect the safety of the attorney and courtroom staff.
The attorney, Alan Cohen, plans to enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity for his client, B.J.H., when the trial begins. Jury selection was recently completed.
B.J.H. has been charged with aggravated sexual assault of a disabled person.
Due to the necessity of providing safety in the courtroom, District Judge Skipper Koetter has allowed the restraints placed on B.J.H., though he felt the move was highly prejudicial.
Koetter said, "The last time we had an outburst, it took four deputies to restrain him and I am not going to put them in that position again. If they can put a hand on him and put him back in the chair, that's fine. If that doesn't work, we'll have to take more extreme measures."
B.J.H., of Missouri, was arrested on January 8 in Edna.
The Texas Department of Public Safety, through attaining samples of DNA, had concluded that B.J.H. was "The Twilight Rapist." The DNA collected has linked him to six assaults, or attempted assaults, that spanned over the last two years. Victims ranged in age from 65 to 91 and all were women. Authorities also believe that B.J.H. is involved in other cases as well.
B.J.H. worked for a lengthy period as a state prison employee – approximately 12 years of and on beginning in 1995 – and also worked in home health care.
One woman, that moved from one home to another across town after being attacked, was allegedly attacked a second time after the move.
The string of rapes so frightened residents that some steps were taken to protect themselves: Older volunteers that worked at a Yoakum library started to keep the doors locked during regular business hours, and, pepper spray was given away at a community meeting as a door prize.
At the time of his arrest, B.J.H. was working in a Texas state prison kitchen.
He worked twice at the Texas Youth Commission.
B.J.H. stuck mainly to food services at the different prisons he worked at. The Texas Department of Justice claimed that there was no criminal history found during his background checks.
Authorities nicknamed the rapist "The Twilight Rapist" as the attacks happened near the dawn hours. The acts appeared well planned – telephone lines were cut outside of the residences and porch lights were unscrewed – at several of the crime scenes.
B.J.H.'s record includes both past and present charges. He was indicted in Jackson County on a charge of burglary of a habitation with the intent to commit sexual assault and he has other charges pending in DeWitt County.
Contact a criminal defense lawyerto help you with your case. Your plea, bail, trial and sentencing hang in the balance and is best managed by an experienced litigator.
