Guide Note

Keison Wilkins, representing himself while on trial in Dayton, Ohio, on two felony assault charges, apparently faked a heart attack during the process of cross-examining a police officer.¹

Fast Facts

1. Date: June 26, 2008
2. Defendant: Keison Wilkins
3. Judge: Mary Katherine Huffman
4. Alleged crime: Felony possession of a weapon and firing gun into a habitation¹
5. Sentence: 42 years in prison¹
6. Successfully represented himself in 2005¹

Wilkins, wearing a bright white suit, appears in the courtroom video cross-examining a witness. Suddenly, Wilkins slumps forward, hits the table, and rolls onto the floor. After a break in the video, during which he was apparently examined and found to be healthy, Wilkins is seen sitting slumped in his chair while the judge, Mary Katherine Huffman, warns Wilkins that his behavior is disruptive and tells him that it will not result in a mistrial.