2 Georgia lawyers jailed when child custody hearing leads to fistfight

Kenneth E. Futch (left), John Thigpen Jr. (Credit: Florida Times-Union)

Kenneth E. Futch (left), John Thigpen Jr. (Credit: Florida Times-Union)

You’d think the only fight that would happen in a courtroom would be between an estranged husband and wife during a child custody hearing.

Think again.

Pierce County Sheriff Ramsey Bennett locked up two feuding lawyers, John Thigpen Jr. and Kenneth E. Futch, on Wednesday when they started fistfighting two hours into court proceedings, the Florida-Times Union reported.

Thigpen and Futch were representing a couple in their divorce case. Wife Dana Larson had recently been arrested on drug charges and was in court with husband Brantley Bowen for a child custody hearing, the newspaper reported.

Judge Andrew Spivey found the men in contempt of court and ordered them to be held in jail overnight. They remained in jail for a few hours before they were released.

It was not reported what led to the fight, but the two have figuratively butted heads in the past.

Last year, Futch, then a judge at Blackshear Municipal Court, threatened to have Thigpen arrested after he attempted to solicit clients during court.

Thigpen later represented Futch’s wife, Sheila Futch, after she was charged with aggravated assault in a shooting at their home in April 2016. Thigpen also claimed he had a recording of Futch using racial slurs while allegedly beating his wife.

Futch later resigned as a judge.

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