Woman Sentenced in Courthouse Attack

A Woodland Hills woman convicted of attacking a Van Nuys Municipal Court commissioner outside a courthouse in January was sentenced Monday to 123 days in jail, authorities said.

Elizabeth McGuire, 59, was sentenced by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert Perry. A jury found McGuire guilty of one count of battery April 6 after a two-day trial, said Deputy City Atty. Robert Cha.

McGuire, who Cha referred to as a member of a “militia-type group,” was accused of twice punching Commissioner Rebecca Omens in the chest outside the Van Nuys Courthouse on Jan. 13 as the commissioner walked to her car after work.

Omens was not injured but did suffer some soreness, Cha said. She returned to work the next day.

McGuire had wanted to serve Omens with papers but was told by a courtroom bailiff she had to leave them with a court clerk. She found out where the commissioner parked her car and waited at the courthouse entrance to the parking lot, Cha said.

When Omens left the courthouse, McGuire punched the commissioner in the chest with her fist and then again with a roll of papers she intended to serve, Cha said. Authorities believe the papers made invalid lien claims against the commissioner’s property, but sheriff’s deputies could not find the papers.

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Omens later recalled seeing McGuire with a man who was in her court in connection with a traffic violation, Cha said. The man, later identified as George Dickey, refused to identify himself during the proceeding and Omens issued a bench warrant for his arrest. Authorities said they believed the attack on Omens was related to that incident, Cha said.

“They don’t recognize the laws and don’t react very well to judges, prosecutors and police officers,” Cha said, referring to McGuire, Dickey and other members of their organization.

Court officials traced McGuire after finding her name on documents in Dickey’s file, Cha said.