(LANSING , MI)–Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said Joshua Harding, 34, of Okemos, has been sentenced to 20-60 years in prison for his court room attack on Assistant Ingham County Prosecutor Jonathan Roth. Harding was in court to be sentence for second degree criminal sexual conduct (CSC) at the time of the courtroom attack. He was sentenced to 19-35 years in prison for that charge. Today’s sentence will be served consecutively to Harding’s CSC sentence. “The brazen attack on Assistant Prosecutor Roth was shocking to say the least. Mr. Roth goes to work every day to try and provide justice for Michigan victims, which was exactly what he was doing on the day of the attack.” said Schuette. “I also want to once again thank all of the officers involved for their quick action in keeping everyone in the courtroom safe.” Harding was sentenced Wednesday, March 15, 2017 before Judge William Collette in the 30th Circuit Court in Mason to 20-60 years in prison. Harding pleaded guilty as charged in February 2017. Harding was also originally charged with one count of terrorism which was dismissed by the judge.
Case Background
On August 2, 2016, just prior to a jury convicting Harding of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. Harding who was not in handcuffs during the sentencing, removed a shank from his shirt sleeve and rushed towards Assistant Prosecutor Roth attempting to stab him in the head in the middle of an open court room in downtown Lansing.
It was determined that the shank was made out of a piece of drop ceiling.
Harding was sentenced to at least 19 years in prison on September 21, 2016 on the Ingham County Second Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct charge he was in court for at the time of the attack.
Schuette announced four felonies charges on September 22, 2016.