Man Punches Attorneys for Sony, Jackson After Judge Dismisses Suit

A judge dismissed an inventor’s suit against Michael Jackson and the inventor reacted by punching two of the defense attorneys in court, witnesses said.

Moments after Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Yaffe dismissed Hugo Zuccarelli’s lawsuit Friday, the inventor leaped up and floored Jackson’s attorney Lawrence Iser, said Fred Cuva, a publicist for Zuccarelli.

“He punched him right in the jaw, and he went down, hard,” said Steven Gwynne, a clerk in Yaffe’s court. “It was just one punch, but it was a hell of a punch.”

Zuccarelli also hit attorney Tim Alger in the cheek. Alger is an attorney for Jackson’s record label, Sony Music.

Cuva and another witness said the attorneys were snickering at Zuccarelli. The remaining defense attorneys detained Zuccarelli. He was arrested and held for investigation of assault, Cuva said.

“I’m very saddened that it occurred, and my apologies are offered,” said Duane Folke, Zuccarelli’s attorney.

Zuccarelli sued Jackson and Sony Music two years ago, charging that he used the inventor’s three-dimensional sound system on the album “Bad” without paying a royalty.