A Greensboro man was arrested and charged with obstruction June 12 after repeatedly being asked to leave the courthouse by deputies.
According to reports, Benjamin McCommons, 53, of 103 Mulberry Street, came to the courthouse to watch a trial in progress and left the courtroom to answer his phone at approximately 9:30 a.m.
McCommons returned at 9:55 a.m. and was told he would have to stay either in or out of the courtroom because the judge did not like the distraction of people coming in and out of the courtroom.
According to Sgt. Randall Murphy of the GCSO, McCommons was later approached by deputies because he was standing behind the defense table leaning over to speak to the defendant on trial.
McCommons was then escorted out of the courtroom and back downstairs.
According to Murphy, McCommons argued with deputies as he was led down the stairs.
Murphy told McCommons he needed to leave, but he argued with Murphy and remarked that he was trying to leave but couldn’t because Murphy was talking to him. McCommons left but soon returned and sat on the bench outside the front door for a period of time before pacing back and forth up the front walkway, according to the report.
When the jury in the courtroom was released on a break, McCommons appeared to approach one of the jurors and say something to him.
Murphy warned McCommons that he could get himself into trouble with such behavior. McCommons argued that he was just telling the juror to have a blessed day.
Again, McCommons was told to leave the area and then began to walk up and down the sidewalk outside, according to the report.
Murphy said McCommons told him he was in with the CIA, that Murphy didn’t know who he was dealing with.
Later a probate court employee came into the building and said a guy outside the courthouse had made a flirtatious remark to her. Another probate court employee said “the guy outside” was creepy and had followed her toward her car. Deputy Carlo Miller Murphy confronted Mr. McCommons about the complaints.
McCommons said the deputies were making false accusations about him.
According to the report McCommons was again asked to leave and then went down to the sidewalk while yelling at the deputies. At that point, McCommons was arrested and transported to the Morgan County jail.