A Michigan man who received national attention in 1997 when he was convicted of killing an 18-year-old when he was 11 has again made headlines for how he responded to a judge in a recent court appearance.
Nathaniel Abraham, 32, is no stranger to authorities. His recent brush with the law has landed him back in jail for the alleged indecent exposure to a civilian and attack on police officers while resisting arrest.
On Friday, Aug. 10, Abraham boldly offered legal advice to the judge presiding over his arraignment on assault and indecent exposure charges. During the nearly 11-minute hearing, Abraham scorned 50th District Judge Michael Martinez who was reading out the 32-year-old’s charges for the alleged incidents.
“So three counts for one charge? How is that even possible?” Abraham asked from the Oakland County Jail via video link.
“Well, that happens all the time,” the judge replied.
“That’s double jeopardy,” Abraham said. “You can’t do that.”
The 32-year-old’s charges related to an incident on Aug. 8 where he refused to comply with police orders resulting in him being tasered.
“He punched two of them and scraped the nose on another one and there was a struggle took place and they could not get him down to handcuff him and they tasered him in order to get him to comply with their orders,” Undersheriff Mike McCabe from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said at a press conference.
This arrest related to an earlier incident on Aug. 6 where he approached a woman in her yard in Michigan and exposed himself to her. He was subsequently arrested and released after posting a $100 bond, reported The Detroit News.
At the arraignment hearing, Abraham was charged with assaulting/resisting a police officer causing injury, two counts of felony assault/resisting a police officer, and one count of misdemeanor indecent exposure.
During the hearing, Abraham attempted to explain what happened during the arrest incident, before he was promptly stopped by the judge.
“Stop, stop,” the judge said. “Don’t say anything about the case. This is being recorded so it can be used against you.”
“I don’t even understand why I have these charges, man,” the 32-year-old said. “I was tased. Now you’ve got me here for assault and battery.”
The 32-year-old’s bond was set at $25,000 cash or surety for the assault charges and $5,000—10 percent bond for the indecent exposure charge.
A Life of Crime
Abraham was only in the sixth grade when he was convicted and sentenced for the second-degree murder of 18-year-old Ronnie Green in 1997. He was released from prison in 2001.
Over the years after his release, he was arrested for a litany of charges from drugs to assault.
He was back in trouble with the law a year after he was released at age 22. He was caught dealing ecstasy pills from the trunk of his car by undercover officers at a gas station. He was subsequently found guilty and received a four-to-20-year prison sentence, reported AP.
In 2012, he received five years of probation for the assault of a prison guard at the Gus Harrison Correctional Facility in late 2010, according to the newswire.