miami lawyer whose pants caught fire

What happened to the Florida lawyer who caught his pants on fire?

A former Florida lawyer whose pants caught on fire during a 2017 trial was arrested on Feb. 15, 2021, on a cocaine charge. Shutterstock A former Florida lawyer who made headlines when his pants caught on fire during an arson trial in 2017 was recently charged with cocaine possession, authorities said.

Why was Stephen Gutierrez arrested in Miami?

Stephen Gutierrez, 32, was arrested on Monday night after being pulled over for driving with a broken headlight, the Miami Herald reported. During the traffic stop, a Miami-Dade police officer noticed a bulge in Gutierrez’s pocket, which he thought was a knife.

What caused the fire at the trial of Richard Gutierrez?

During the March 2017 trial, Gutierrez was arguing that the blaze may have been caused by spontaneous combustion — when his own pants erupted in flames. Gutierrez went running out of the courtroom, with smoke pouring out of his right pocket, the Herald reported at the time.

Why did Gutierrez run out of the courtroom?

Gutierrez went running out of the courtroom, as bewildered jurors and spectators watched. He blamed a faulty battery in his electronic cigarette for igniting in his pocket at a coincidental time. The episode generated national and international headlines.

What happened to Stephen Gutierrez?

Stephen Gutierrez, 32, whose law license is currently revoked, was pulled over Monday night near Westchester and arrested on a felony cocaine charge. According to a Miami-Dade police report, he was pulled over for driving without a working headlight. An officer saw a bulge in his pocket and believed it was a knife;

Who is the defense attorney who smoked?

Defense attorney Stephen Gutierrez was in a Miami-Dade courtroom on Wednesday when his pants started smoking.

Who is Kalhan Rosenblatt?

Kalhan Rosenblatt. Kalhan Rosenblatt is a reporter covering youth and internet culture for NBC News , based in New York.

Did Gutierrez feel heat coming from his pocket?

But During his closing argument, Gutierrez began to feel heat coming from his pocket where he had several electric cigarette batteries, he told NBC News in an email. As Gutierrez argued Charles’ car had merely spontaneously combusted, the lawyer’s pants seemed to do the same.

Did Gutierrez throw a battery in water?

Gutierrez said as the heat intensified, he hurried into the bathroom where he tossed the battery in water. He was able to return to the courtroom with a singed pocket. "This was not staged," Gutierrez said. "No one thinks that a battery left in their pocket is somehow going to 'explode.