As District Court trials resume, Liss wins quick acquittal

The son explained he had tried to go through an open window at the back of the house in order to get inside and unlock the door for his mother. He said his dad came over to the window and pushed him back. The son said he did not remember if his father used one or two hands to push him, and he was not hurt when he was pushed.

He said his father threw a flower pot at him, but missed. He said he threw the base of the pot and hit his father with it. His father then came charging outside but slipped and fell, and that’s when he sat on him to keep him on the ground.

Deputies noted that Liss’ client smelled of intoxicants and that his son was “clearly not hurting” him by holding him on the ground. One deputy wrote in his report that the son “appeared to be nervous of letting go of his father.”

At trial, Liss emphasized that his client's son did not have his permission to come through the window. He asked a deputy about what rights a homeowner has if someone is trying to come into his home without his permission. Would the homeowner be within his rights to push that person?

Yes, the deputy said.

Had Liss’ client been convicted of the assault, a gross misdemeanor, he could have faced up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine.