Cursing at prosecutor in front of jury: Dubious trial strategy ends in guilty verdict

A former Kansas prison inmate is set for a return trip after a jury found him guilty of assaulting a guard.

James Spooner likely didn’t help his case by cursing at the prosecutor during his trial in front of a jury in Leavenworth County District Court.

Spooner was removed from the courtroom and on Tuesday the jury found him guilty of battery on a correctional officer.

The charge stemmed from an October 2016 incident at the Lansing Correctional Facility.

According to testimony, Spooner was stopped from entering an unauthorized area and hit an officer in the face several times.

He was being cross-examined by prosecutor Meredith Mazza when he had his angry outburst and was removed, according to Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson.

“We have very tough attorneys,” Thompson said. “Things like that don’t bother them.”

Spooner, 35, is now being held in the Leavenworth County jail pending sentencing.