Defendant rushes District Judge J. Clay McKisson III
by E.E.Mullens
WALSENBURG — A defendant in a 2022 sexual assault case “flipped out” in Sheriff Bruce Newman’s words, and mounted his own kind of surprise attack on Pearl Harbor Day, when he appeared in district court a week ago today for sentencing upon a plea agreement sentence and attempted to assault the district court judge.
Anthony John Palermo, 44, of Walsenburg appeared Dec. 7, 2023 in the Third Judicial District Courtroom of Judge J. Clay McKisson for sentencing on a sexual assault conviction. The defendant was free on bond at the time of the sentencing hearing, although Huerfano County Sheriff’s Deputies Lt. Dee Pacheco and Maria Dominguez were standing by to take him into custody when the hearing was concluded.
Members of both the defendant’s and victim’s families were present in the courtroom when Judge McKisson sentenced Palermo to 16 years in the state department of corrections. According to Lt. Pacheco, a plea agreement was in place in the case to save the victim from having to appearing at trial.
Palermo was standing at the defense table when the upper range of the plea agreement sentence was pronounced. According to witnesses, and statements by officials, the defendant was agitated and as Deputy Dominguez attempted to handcuff him, he violently resisted. Lt. Pacheco also attempted to gain control of Palermo as he fought his way towards the judge’s bench. In the melee, the uncle of the teen victim struck and was struck by Palermo as the effort to gain control moved closer to Judge McKisson. Judicial District Prosecutor Nick Dale and the victim’s family members exited the courtroom and gathered outside the judical center.
Court security officer Leon Medina, who witnessed the altercation begin on video monitors located at his desk at the main doors of the judicial center, rushed up the stairs to render aid to the deputies.
Judge McKisson confirmed Palermo made it to his bench. Sheriff’s office witnesses told the World Journal, the judge stood up and squared off against the defendant before he was finally brought under control and hustled out of the back security exit of the judicial center and frog-marched to the county jail.
Sheriff Newman said he had just arrived home for his lunch when he heard Deputy Dominguez report to dispatch that the incident had broken out. Newman rushed back to the judicial center and ran into the building.
He said no contact between the defendant and the judge was made. Shortly after Palermo was taken into custody a Spanish Peaks Ambulance was seen arriving at the sheriff’s Office. Newman said Palermo sustained a minor head wound as he began banging his own head against the bars of the detention center’s holding cell.
Palermo was treated at the jail, where he remains.
On Friday, Dec. 8, Palermo appeared in a virtual video advisement hearing in Huerfano’s District court where the district attorney’s office charged him with a litany of criminal counts associated with his actions the day before.
Palermo, currently on a Colorado Department of Corrections hold in place from his sentencing, now faces additional charges that include; retaliation against a judge, second degree assault in a court office, attempted assault of a public servant, two counts of third degree assault of first responders, third degree reckless assault causing injury, obstruction of government operations, two counts of obstruction of a peace officer and two counts of resisting arrest.
A $20,000 cash or surety bond was put in place on Palermo’s new charges and he is scheduled to appear again today at 11 a.m. in district court.
