Being a public defender is tough work. They are regularly under-funded, overworked and for all their tireless effort they might just get punched in the face by their own client.

That’s what happened to York County, S.C. defense attorney Dan Hall, according to WSOCTV. When Lamarcus Williamson was sentenced to 15 years after pleading guilty to robbery, drug and assault charges on Tuesday, he turned and slugged Hall right in the kisser.

“Court is a tense, emotional, tough situation,” Hall told WSOC. “I’m not a good boxer.”

Circuit Judge Michael Nettles tacked on an extra six months to Williamson’s sentence during a Wednesday hearing. The punishment is the harshest possible for contempt of court, according to the Herald Online.

Williamson’s explanation for his actions was shaky at best. He told the judge he was angry about the accusations against him.

“I was upset because the solicitor was trying to incriminate me like I’m some bad guy,” Williamson said in court. “The solicitor was trying to say I destroyed this woman.”

But, as the Herald points out, moments before, Williamson had pleaded guilty to those crimes.

Though Williamson’s punch drew blood and left Hall shaken, the attorney managed to look on the bright side.

“An inch higher I would have had a broken nose, an inch lower my front teeth would have been knocked out,” Hall said, according to the Charlotte Observer. “Clearly this is the kind of thing that cannot be tolerated in a courtroom.”

– Huffington Post