Peoples

Did the trial court err in recusing an attorney on its own motion where she appeared on behalf of her brother, accused of assault with a deadly weapon, against her former husband and father of her children, who were themselves percipient witnesses to the altercation? Obviously not. We deal with several other issues in the nonpublished portion of the opinion and affirm.

I

On August 11, 1993, Reginaldo Gale picked up his two older children (Reginald, then four, and Sarissa, then nine) at the home shared by his ex-wife, Nujya Strawder, an attorney, and her brother, defendant Ahriman Ali Peoples. Peter, the couple’s youngest child, stayed behind.

Reginald told his father Peoples had spanked him that morning. Gale called defendant and left a message on his answering machine. He called again the next day and told Strawder he wanted to talk to her brother. They also agreed Gale would pick up Peter on August 13.

The next morning a still angry Gale telephoned defendant and asked about the spanking. Peoples told Gale he spanked Reginald because he lied about breaking a glass. They argued and defendant warned Gale, “you can bring your knives, guns and we can take this to the…