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| Florida lawyer's trousers catch fire in court arson trial | Florida lawyer's trousers catch fire in court arson trial |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Florida defence lawyer's trousers have reportedly caught fire in court during an arson trial. | A Florida defence lawyer's trousers have reportedly caught fire in court during an arson trial. |
| Stephen Gutierrez was to address jurors on Wednesday when smoke began billowing from his pocket, witnesses said. | |
| The attorney fled the court and later returned unharmed with a singed pocket, blaming a faulty battery in his e-cigarette, the Miami Herald reports. | The attorney fled the court and later returned unharmed with a singed pocket, blaming a faulty battery in his e-cigarette, the Miami Herald reports. |
| Mr Gutierrez, who had been arguing that his client's car spontaneously caught fire, said it was not a stunt. | Mr Gutierrez, who had been arguing that his client's car spontaneously caught fire, said it was not a stunt. |
| "It was surreal," one witness told the Herald, while another pointed out that "a lot of people could have been hurt". | "It was surreal," one witness told the Herald, while another pointed out that "a lot of people could have been hurt". |
| Police and prosecutors are investigating the incident, the newspaper reports, saying that officers "seized several frayed e-cigarette batteries as evidence". | Police and prosecutors are investigating the incident, the newspaper reports, saying that officers "seized several frayed e-cigarette batteries as evidence". |
| Mr Gutierrez, 28, was making his closing argument to jurors when the fire erupted. | |
| He returned to the court moments after running out, still wearing the singed pants, to explain the incident. | He returned to the court moments after running out, still wearing the singed pants, to explain the incident. |
| The defence attorney was representing Claudy Charles, who was accused of intentionally setting fire to his car in South Miami-Dade. | The defence attorney was representing Claudy Charles, who was accused of intentionally setting fire to his car in South Miami-Dade. |
| Jurors later convicted Charles of second-degree arson. | Jurors later convicted Charles of second-degree arson. |
| E-cigarettes have been known to catch fire spontaneously, with several incidents caught on video. | E-cigarettes have been known to catch fire spontaneously, with several incidents caught on video. |
| More e-cig mishaps | More e-cig mishaps |