A Dunbar man is charged with assault and battery for poking his public defender "in an aggressive manner," according to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.
Raymond Floren, 69, was at court on Wednesday for another battery charge, said Adam Petry, Kanawha County assistant prosecutor. Petry was representing the state in that case.
Before he entered magistrate court, while discussing his criminal case inside of the judicial annex, Floren allegedly verbally threatened Public Defender David Miller, poked the lawyer in the chest and became loud and aggressive, the complaint states.
The complaint is based on statements from Miller and witness Katherine Kessel.
Petry didn't witness the confrontation, but participated in the arraignment. He said Floren seemed "pretty calm" during the arraignment with Magistrate Ward Harshbarger III.
Harshbarger set bail at $15,000 cash only, with home confinement.
A message left at the public defenders' office was not immediately returned.