Ex-Marine Jailed For Beating Wife Wants Bond Lowered
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) – A Broward County judge has delayed his decision on whether or not to lower bond for a Fort Lauderdale man charged with viciously assaulting his estranged wife in court chambers.
An attorney for ex-Marine Paul Henry Gonzalez Jr., 28, asked the judge to reduce bond at a hearing Thursday, however the judge did not make a decision and will continue the hearing on Monday.
Gonzalez has been held on a $1 million bond since the assault took place in April.
Gonzalez had to be subdued with a stun gun after he attacked Catherine Ann Scott-Gonzalez, 23, in the chambers of Judge Ronald Rothschild. They were discussing final details about their divorce when Gonzalez lunged at his wife, and beat her with closed fists numerous times, say prosecutors. The judge, his clerk and Scott-Gonzalez's attorney Michael J. Dunleavy all witnessed the violent attack.
Scott-Gonzalez was hospitalized with serious injuries including facial fractures, a torn lip and a broken nose.
When BSO deputies arrived, Dunleavy was restraining Gonzalez. Gonzalez reportedly refused to be handcuffed, and deputies were forced to Taser him twice.
Scott-Gonzalez's mother, Doreen Scott testified she was not in the courtroom when the attack happened but received a call on her cell phone.
"They said come quickly Paul beat up Katie, and I ran," said Scott. "When I got there they let me in and I saw my daugther in a pool of blood."
Scott, who is a registered nurse, says she cleared her daughter's throat and nose to make sure she could breathe.
"She said where am I mommy and then she went unconscious again," recalled Scott. "She had to have surgery to put a rod in her jaw so she can chew."
But Gonzalez's family and co-workers who packed the courtroom for the hearing insist he is not a violent man.
"When I saw his picture on TV I was shocked," said his boss Bruce Walker.
Walker says Gonzalez has worked for him for over a year and he's never seen him violent.
But Walker says Gonzalez seemed, "depressed about his personal life and seemed heartbroken."
Gonzalez's mother Edith Beavers at first denied she knew of any violence in the relationship.
But when pressed said there were maybe one or two times when her daughter-in-law called to complain that Paul Gonzalez had become physically violent.
"She'd call me many times about silly things, like he was spending too much time on the computer," said Beavers. " She was not a saint. Very manipulative."
Gonzalez is charged with felony battery, domestic violence and resisting arrest without violence.
