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Punchless day at trial of accused Philadelphia cop-killer

No one got punched out yesterday when jury selection resumed in the murder trial of two men accused of helping kill Philadelphia police Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski in 2008.

No one got punched out yesterday when jury selection resumed in the murder trial of two men accused of helping kill Philadelphia police Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski in 2008.

Defense attorney William Bowe, who was punched twice in the head on Wednesday by his client, Eric Deshann Floyd, was not in the courtroom for jury selection.

Bowe, who had been Floyd's lead defense attorney, "will not appear in court at this time," said Common Pleas Judge Renee Cardwell Hughes, who added that he will remain on Floyd's defense team.

That team is now being led by Bowe's co-counsel, Earl Kauffman.

"Mr. Kauffman is fully equipped and prepared to mount a vigorous defense," said Hughes.

"The administration of justice will not be interrupted nor will attempts to interrupt it be tolerated," said Hughes, who on Wednesday postponed jury selection until yesterday following Floyd's attack on Bowe.

Floyd, 35, wasn't in the courtroom yesterday either. He watched the proceedings from a holding cell via closed-circuit television.

The judge asked each of the eight potential jurors interviewed during nearly four hours if they could be fair to Floyd given his absence.

All said that they could be fair. An unemployed college student and a software engineer - both men - were eventually selected to serve by Assistant District Attorney Jude Conroy and defense attorneys for Floyd and co-defendant Levon Terrell Warner, 41.

The day of the attack and the two days prior, Floyd complained to the judge that he wanted to fire Bowe and represent himself. Hughes denied the request.

Floyd has yet to be charged criminally with attacking Bowe, who was taken to the hospital by ambulance and released later that day.

"We are pending the decision while we contemplate what the best course of action is," First Assistant District Attorney Joseph McGettigan said, noting that the trial is in progress.

Floyd and Warner are accused of helping to to kill Liczbinski following a Port Richmond bank robbery on May 3, 2008.

Police fatally shot gunman Howard Cain, 33, that day.

If found guilty of first-degree murder, Floyd and Warner could face the death penalty.

Jury selection resumes Monday with a new jury pool of 120 people.