A man has been charged for punching his attorney in the face after receiving his sentence in a murder case.
According to the bail motion obtained by KTRK, Jaquarius Lewis assaulted his attorney, John Petruzzi, after he was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the April 2024 murder of Quincy Jermaine Johnson.
In an interview with FOX 26 Houston, Petruzzi said he recalled hearing Lewis' sentencing on Tuesday (April 28), but nothing after that.
"At that point, apparently, now, I was out. My client hit me in the face," he said. "People in the courtroom say that I was standing, I fell back against a chair, and then I hit a counter, and hit the back of my head. And apparently, fell on the ground, but I don’t remember any of that."
When Petruzzi regained consciousness, he was asked if he was aware that Lewis punched him in the face, to which he responded, "No, I didn’t know that."
"I was kinda shocked, really. I’ve done this a long time and I’ve never had a client hit me," said Petruzzi, who has served as an attorney for hundreds of murder defendants over the course of 46 years.
According to KTRK, court documents indicate that on December 26, 2025, Lewis requested the court remove Petruzzi as his court-appointed attorney. It’s unclear why the request was made.
About a month later, Lewis pleaded guilty to murder and waived his right to a jury trial. Lewis faced five to 50 years behind bars, with the state recommending that he receive the maximum amount of time.
Petruzzi came away from the incident without any serious injuries. The DA is asking for Lewis' bond to be set at $100 million.
