It happened in a flash. One second, Taylor Schabusiness was sitting quietly in a Brown County courtroom, and the next, she was lunging across the defense table. Her target? Her own lawyer, Quinn Jolly. This wasn't some scripted TV drama or a misunderstanding. It was a violent, physical outburst that left everyone in the room—including the judge—momentarily stunned.
You’ve probably seen the grainy footage. It's the kind of thing that sticks in your brain. A defendant, already facing the most gruesome charges imaginable, turning on the one person trying to keep her out of prison. But why did she do it? Honestly, the context is even weirder than the video itself.
The Moment Taylor Schabusiness Attacked Her Lawyer
The date was February 14, 2023. Valentine's Day. Schabusiness was in court for a competency hearing. Her legal team was arguing that she wasn't mentally fit to stand trial for the 2022 murder and dismemberment of Shad Thyrion.
Everything seemed routine. Quinn Jolly, her public defender at the time, asked Judge Thomas Walsh for a two-week adjournment. He needed more time for a defense expert to review the case. The judge agreed. He pushed the trial date back. You’d think a defendant would want more time for their defense, right?
Not Taylor.
As soon as the judge finished speaking, Schabusiness went for Jolly. She didn't just shove him; she swung. A sheriff’s deputy, who was standing just feet away, had to tackle her to the floor. The courtroom was cleared immediately. When the hearing resumed a bit later, Jolly did exactly what you’d expect: he asked to be removed from the case. He told the judge the relationship was "irretrievably broken." Hard to argue with that.
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It Wasn't the Only Time
Here is the thing people forget: she did it again. Fast forward to April 2025. Schabusiness was already serving her life sentence at Taycheedah Correctional Institution. She was back in court, this time for allegedly attacking a prison guard with a metal tray.
Same scene, different lawyer. This time it was Curtis Julka.
Just minutes into the proceeding, she leapt from her chair and lunged at Julka. Again, she was tackled. Again, the hearing was halted. It’s a pattern that makes you wonder about the security protocols in these high-profile cases. Why was she close enough to reach him? Usually, in cases with a history of violence, there’s more distance or more restraints, but she managed to close the gap both times.
The Trial That Followed the First Attack
Despite the chaos, the legal system kept moving. After Jolly withdrew, Christopher Froelich took over the defense. He actually tried to get Judge Walsh to recuse himself, arguing that since the judge witnessed the attack on Jolly, he couldn't be impartial.
Walsh said no. He stayed on the case.
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The trial itself was a nightmare of evidence. We’re talking about a case where the victim’s mother found her son's head in a bucket in the basement. Prosecutors described a meth-fueled night that turned into a "house of horrors." Schabusiness didn't just kill Thyrion; she dismembered him and, according to testimony, enjoyed the process.
Why the "Insanity" Defense Failed
The core of the defense was that Schabusiness was suffering from a mental disease or defect. Her lawyers pointed to her history of bipolar disorder and a spiral into psychosis. They even brought in a psychologist, Dr. Diane Lytton, who testified that Schabusiness was actively psychotic.
The jury didn't buy it.
They deliberated for less than an hour. They found her guilty of first-degree intentional homicide, third-degree sexual assault, and mutilating a corpse. Then, in the second phase of the trial, they decided she was responsible for her actions—meaning she wasn't legally insane at the time of the murder.
What This Means for Courtroom Safety
When Taylor Schabusiness attacks her lawyer, it sparks a massive debate about how we handle high-risk defendants. You can’t exactly put a lawyer in a cage with their client, but you also can’t have public defenders fearing for their lives while they try to do their jobs.
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- Proximity: In many courtrooms, the defendant sits right next to counsel to facilitate communication. That's a constitutional right, basically.
- Restraints: Often, defendants are in "stealth" restraints (like leg irons under the table), but their hands are sometimes left free so they can write notes.
- Deputy Placement: After the first attack, the number of deputies in the room for Schabusiness's hearings went up significantly.
Basically, the system relies on a level of decorum that someone like Schabusiness simply doesn't recognize.
Final Takeaways on the Case
Taylor Schabusiness is currently serving life in prison without the possibility of parole. The attacks on her lawyers didn't help her case; if anything, they reinforced the prosecution's argument that she was a danger to everyone around her.
If you're following these types of high-profile criminal cases, there are a few practical things to keep in mind:
- Competency vs. Sanity: These are different. Competency is about whether you understand the court proceedings now. Sanity is about your mental state at the time of the crime.
- Public Record: Most of these hearings are recorded. Watching the unedited footage provides a much better sense of the tension in the room than a 30-second news clip.
- Legal Recourse: A lawyer can withdraw if they are physically assaulted, but the court will always appoint a new one. The trial doesn't just stop forever.
The Schabusiness case remains one of the most disturbing in recent Wisconsin history, not just for the crime itself, but for the way the violence spilled over into the very room meant to provide justice. It serves as a grim reminder that in the justice system, the "safety" of a courtroom is often just an illusion held together by a few deputies and a lot of hope.
Check the local court dockets if you're interested in the ongoing battery charges she faces from her time in prison—those cases are still winding through the system and often provide more insight into her behavior behind bars.