Geoffrey Wells, seen during his preliminary hearing on Tuesday, is charged with attacking Bailiff Norm Adams and several other bailiffs last month in Family Court during Wells' divorce trial. Photos by Gary Thompson.
Bailiff Norm Adams points to defendant Geoffrey Wells on Tuesday in Las Vegas Justice Court.
Handcuffed and shackled, a quiet and subdued Geoffrey Wells was little threat to the bailiffs in the courtroom Tuesday.
That wasn't the case last month, when Wells attacked and fought several bailiffs after he snapped during his divorce trial.
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The 36-year-old was in Las Vegas Justice Court on Tuesday for a preliminary hearing on charges stemming from the Dec. 14 melee in Family Court.
The fisticuffs started after Wells shouted at Family Court Judge Cheryl Moss as she issued her decision in the divorce.
Moss was reminding Wells of her court order requiring him to lock up the numerous guns in his house. Wells didn't follow the order, and his 12-year-old son, Syber Wells, killed himself with one of those guns.
Wells began shouting at Moss, saying the U.S. Constitution doesn't require gun owners to lock up their guns.
That's when bailiff Norm Adams stepped behind Wells and asked him to stand. Adams was already prepared to handcuff Wells because the judge planned to send him to jail for two days for violating her order, Adams testified.
"Mr. Wells immediately spun around and started swinging his arms wildly at officer Adams," said bailiff Brad Scherer, who had been called in for backup.
The bailiffs tried to subdue Wells as he continued throwing punches at them. The melee ended after Scherer jumped on Wells' back and several more bailiffs rushed in to help.
After bailiffs walked a handcuffed Wells into a courthouse hallway, Wells kicked bailiff Jason Dean, Dean testified.
Wells faces four felony counts of battery on a police officer and one count of battery by a prisoner.
Justice of the Peace Nancy Oesterle did not rule Tuesday on whether the case should go to District Court for trial. She continued the hearing until Thursday so she could decide whether to dismiss two of the charges.
Public defender Casey Landis argued the battery by a prisoner charge should be dropped because Wells was not a prisoner when he kicked Dean. Landis also argued for the dismissal of one of the battery charges, saying Wells did not intend to kick one of the bailiffs while he was flailing his legs on the ground as the bailiffs tried to handcuff him.
