Muhlaysia Booker (David Taffet/Dallas Voice)

Andrew Wilkerson, the attorney defending Edward Thomas, the man accused of assaulting Muhlaysia Booker a month before her murder, was held in contempt of court by Judge Hector Garza.

Wilkerson was given two weeks in jail and a $500 fine for repeatedly interrupting and arguing with the judge. The prosecution accused Wilkerson of saying Booker and other witnesses were lying.

At one point Wilkerson said, “You can’t tell me to stop talking in front of the jury.”

Wilkerson is arguing in the case that Booker brought the beating on herself and then lied about who committed the assault that left her with a broken wrist and a concussion.

Booker was a transgender woman living in a south Dallas apartment complex. After she had a fender bender in the apartment’s parking lot, the driver of the other car and others encouraged beating Booker up. Rather than helping, others in the complex took video of her beating that was broadcast across the country.

A month later, Booker was murdered in an incident that is unrelated to the assault and an arrest has been made in that case.

In the assault, Michael Campbell is a second attorney working with Wilkerson. Campbell is expected to step in as lead attorney for the defense.

— David Taffet