Family: Man Needs Mental Treatment, Not Trial

OMAHA, Neb. - KETV.com

The family of a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic man on trial for assault charges said the man should be treated in a mental institution, not tried in a criminal courtroom.

Security was tight Monday as the trial began for convicted murderer and rapist Eric Lewis.

Lewis is charged with assaulting three correctional officers. He has a history of courtroom outbursts.

Last week, the 38-year-old flew into a rage and flipped over a defense table.

Lewis, shackled and wearing two shock belts capable of delivering 100,000 volts of electricity, was wheeled into a Douglas County courtroom. Five guards hovered near him, poised for an outburst.

When Judge Russell Bowie asked Lewis if he was going to behave, Lewis snapped back with an expletive-laced tirade.

Lewis called the proceedings and the judge "phony."

"But I'm ready to roll," Lewis said.

"They diagnosed him to be schizophrenic. If he's schizophrenic, why are they sending him through this?" asked his aunt, Angela Fairgood. "He needs to be in a hospital getting him some medical attention."

When asked why Lewis called the judge obscene names, his sister said, "If you had to endure all that he's endured, I'd be angry too."

Lewis has been found competent to stand trial.

He was quiet and calm when 60 potential jurors filed into the room. He chose not to wear civilian clothes in front of the jury, opting instead for an orange jail jumpsuit.

After the jury of 12 people and one alternative person was seated, KETV NewsWatch 7 asked one man who wasn't selected if he was aware of Lewis' outbursts.

"I did see the report on TV, but I did not connect this gentleman with that report," said Van Harman.

Knowing that now, Van Harman said he was relieved not to be sitting in the jury box.

"Had I known, and had I been selected … I think that would have been tough to be fair and impartial," he said.

Lewis' trial is expected to continue until Thursday.

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