A federal judge found a former attorney for Aaron Patterson in civil contempt Wednesday for staging two tearful walkouts during the former death row inmate’s trial on drug and firearms charges.

A federal judge found a former attorney for Aaron Patterson in civil contempt Wednesday for staging two tearful walkouts during the former death row inmate’s trial on drug and firearms charges.

Defense attorney Demitrus Evans, 37, first stormed out of the courtroom after one of Patterson’s many emotional outbursts in June during his pretrial hearings.

U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer ordered U.S. marshals to find Evans, and they eventually brought her back to court. The second walkout resulted in her being dropped from the case.

Pallmeyer ruled Wednesday that Evans’ actions justified civil contempt, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Niewoehner. Evans likely will be required to pay the government about $3,000 in restitution for costs incurred during the delays her actions caused in the proceedings, he said.

Evans’ attorney, Arvin Boddie, had told the judge his client’s behavior was the result of great personal and professional pressure and “youth and inexperience.”