Courtroom video cameras recorded the January 31 melee, which subsided as a law enforcement officer drew a stun gun and protected the defendant from further attack.
Felony charges were filed against two men: battery and assault on a public official. They apparently rushed the defendant in a fit of rage over the killing of a relative, the AP reported.
A woman was also arrested on the same charges, Albuquerque TV station KRQE reported Thursday. The courtroom video showed her hitting the defendant and an officer with a chair.
The presence of corrections officers and other security details in courtrooms does not always keep the peace. Last year a defendant in a felony battery case in Nevada flung himself over a judge’s bench and grabbed her hair, sparking a bloody brawl with court officials.