PROVO, Utah — Just as he did a week ago, fugitive Nicholas Rossi caused more courtroom havoc at another session Tuesday, although this time he did it by not appearing at all.
Rossi, who was extradited from Scotland after fleeing the country to avoid rape charges, was scheduled to be arraigned in front of Judge Derek Pullan in Fourth District Court. However, when Rossi's name was called, his attorney, Lance Bastian, said his client had declined to appear.
"I'm sorry, can you say that again?" asked the judge.
When Pullan asked if Rossi was ill, Bastian said he did not know and would try to find out the reason for him not showing up in the virtual session.
"If he's not ill, he has no reasonable excuse. I will authorize reasonable force to compel his initial appearance," the judge said.
Even without Rossi in attendance, Pullan still scheduled his first appearance for Feb. 6.
Last week, in his first appearance last week in a Utah court since his extradition, Rossi caused major confusion by claiming, as he has done previously, that his name was actually Arthur Knight and used a British accent that was difficult to understand.
The state informed Judge Kimberly Hornak that Rossi had not given his correct name or birthdate, and let her know that he had been extradited to Utah.
"Objection, m'lady!" Rossi replied. "That is complete hearsay and I would ask that your ladyship and prosecution show cause for why I am..." before being cut off by Hornak.
Rossi, whose legal name is Nicholas Alahverdian, maintains that he has been framed for allegedly raping a woman in Utah in 2008.
