A Rocky Mount man who gained significant media attention in 2024 and 2025 for a violent assault on his own attorney in a Nash County courtroom after he was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill cannot appeal the conviction.
In May 2024, David Jordan Jr. was appearing in Nash County Superior Court, after the jury found him guilty, when he grabbed is court-appointed attorney, John J. Wells III and knocked him to the ground.
He appealed the original conviction on the original charges, and this week the N.C. Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that Jordan forfeited his right to appeal because his own violent actions prevented his attorney from providing oral notice of appeal at the time of sentencing.
Judge Valerie Zachary said the loss of appeal was due to Jordan's own "fault or neglect" rather than any error by the court.
