Everybody Hates Raymond Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Disgraced Florida pastor’s courtroom suicide try: Pops pills after child sex-abuse conviction Rev. James Harris was found guilty of abusing a 15-year-old boy, then tried the coward’s way out in a West Palm Beach court. BY PHILIP CAULFIELD/ NEW YORK DAILY NEWS FRIDAY, AUGUST 10, 2012, 3:11 PM Print Florida Rev. Richard Harris was wheeled out of Palm Beach court on a gurney after he tried to swallow some pills immediately after getting convicted of child sex abuse. He is now on suicide watch. A Florida pastor convicted of sex crimes against a 15-year-old boy gobbled a handful of pills after receiving his sentence on Thursday in an apparent courtroom suicide attempt. West Palm Beach court deputies immediately pounced on Rev. James Harris and wrestled him to the ground while ordering him to spit out the suspected poison pills. "Oh, my God, it's cyanide," the Palm Beach Postquoted a group of court interns whispering, as the officers worked to subdue the convicted sex fiend. The 64-year-old Belle Glade minister was eventually wheeled from the courtroom in a stretcher, handcuffed, barefoot and with his white shirt unbuttoned, according to photos shot by the Post. The bizarre scene capped a three-day trial in which Harris was charged with sexually abusing a 15-year-old boy in 2008 and 2009. LANNIS WATERS/PALM BEACH POST Harris, 64, was accused of molesting a 15-year-old boy whom he promised to make a football star. Using his connections with Glade Central High School's football program, the disgraced minister lured the boy with phony promises of introductions to professional football scouts and trainers, prosecutor said. Harris forced the boy to perform sex acts on him twice and, on a separate occasion, filmed the boy masturbating while a porn film played in the background, according to the Sun Sentinel. During the trial, a girl testified that Harris also secretly filmed her having sex with the boy when she was 14. Both tapes were played for the jurors. Harris faces 80 years in prison and is set to be sentenced on Oct. 5. He was on suicide watch at the Palm Beach County Jail. Spokesmen at both the Palm Beach Sherrif’s Department and the courthouse said it wasn’t known what Harris tried to swallow. LANNIS WATERS/PALM BEACH POST Deputies jumped on Harris after he tried to swallow some white pills. It wasn't clear what kind of pills they were. According to the Post, Harris was convicted in 2009 of attacking a woman with a baseball bat at a local Elks Club. He was sentenced to one year in prison in that case. Thursday's incident recalled the case of a crooked former Wall Street trader who swallowed a cyanide pill in court in June after he was convicted of torching his Arizona mansion because he couldn't keep up with the payments. Courtroom cameras caught disgraced financier Michael Marin appearing to pop something in his mouth moments after a judge handed him a conviction that would have put him behind bars for more than 16 years. Moments later, Marin began convulsing and fell on the floor. He was pronounced dead later at a local hospital. PCaulfield@nydailynews.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbbyNucksFan Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 should have just let him swallow them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slaytanic Wehrmacht Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Knew he was a dead man as soon as he hit prison anyway...they're going to string him up by his testicles, sick ****ing bastard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vapourstreak Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 should have just let him swallow them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everybody Hates Raymond Posted August 10, 2012 Author Share Posted August 10, 2012 should have just let him swallow them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tortorella's Rant Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 If you ever watch Lockup, I believe these sorts of criminals are usually isolated because of the threat of being murder or beat up in prison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLumme Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Is a pedophile, convicted as a pedarist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UMB Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Should of let him swallow them. Its a waste of tax money having to feed him, cloth him, house him for the rest of his life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slaytanic Wehrmacht Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 If you ever watch Lockup, I believe these sorts of criminals are usually isolated because of the threat of being murder or beat up in prison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Ambien Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 They should have let him drop those cyanide pills and filmed him dying in the process. One less waste of life to bother wasting taxpayer money on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tearloch7 Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Whatever happened to the "Christian" faction on these boards?? .. surely mercy and forgiveness should at least be postulated .. no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slaytanic Wehrmacht Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Whatever happened to the "Christian" faction on these boards?? .. surely mercy and forgiveness should at least be postulated .. no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shift-4 Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 I thought his god would condemn him for that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magikal Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Whatever happened to the "Christian" faction on these boards?? .. surely mercy and forgiveness should at least be postulated .. no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slaytanic Wehrmacht Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 That's not what the bible teaches.....it's more of a "stone your daughter to death if she gets raped and doesn't marry the rapist" kinda book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aGENT Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Molesting children = sin. Committing suicide = sin. I see this guy's really living by the "good book". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbbyNucksFan Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 He's not a TRUE christian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slaytanic Wehrmacht Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 He's not a TRUE christian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.K. Chesterton Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 That's not what the bible teaches.....it's more of a "stone your daughter to death if she gets raped and doesn't marry the rapist" kinda book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stawns Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 while I obviously don't condone continuing the cycle of abuse and there is no excuse for this kind of weakness........does anyone here consider that he, himself, is probably a survivor of hard core sexual abuse? He should go to jail, no doubt, and pay his penance, but he does deserve some consideration that he probably went through some pretty horrble experiences of his own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.