Political activist Charles Grapski has caused a flurry of court activity in the past month. Judgment and Sentence Affirmed On July 6, the First District Court of Appeal (DCA) of Florida released a mandate affirming the judgment and sentence of Grapski in a case in which a jury found him guilty of battery on an officer. After the verdict, Grapski filed an appeal, but the First DCA essentially turned it down when it affirmed the lower court’s judgment. Contempt of Court On July 15, the State Attorney’s Office entered a petition to hold Grapski in contempt of court for his recent actions at a court hearing on June 21. The petition alleges that as Grapski’s case was called for hearing, he approached the podium and told Assistant State Attorney Shawn Thompson to “get a real job.” At a later hearing on the same day, Grapski allegedly approached the table of Assistant State Attorney Shawn Thompson in an “aggressive manner,” pointed his finger at Thompson and stated to him, “you are a f---ing liar” not less than two times, according to the petition. Following the reported statements, Judge James Nilon ordered Grapski to the podium and admonished him, but Grapski allegedly interrupted the judge, stating “I am just tired of the lies,” according to the petition. Nilon then ordered Grapski to leave the courtroom with no further statements to Mr. Thompson or any other prosecutor. But as Grapski left the courtroom, he “opened the courtroom door with sufficient velocity as to cause a loud crashing sound and further disrupt the court proceedings,” according to court records. Motion to Withdraw from Counsel Following the June 21 court incident, Grapski’s public defender, Deborah Phillips, submitted a motion to withdraw as counsel. In her motion submitted on July 20, Phillips cited an “irreconcilable conflict of interest” as her reason for her request.
