Lorain attorney arrested Tuesday at county Justice Center after alleged domestic incident at home (VIDEO)

An attorney who showed up in Common Pleas Court at the Lorain County Justice Center in Elyria on Tuesday to represent a client left in handcuffs after Lorain police arrested him on a domestic violence warrant. Attorney Mark Stephenson, 70, of Lorain, was arrested just after 10:45 a.m. Tuesday in Judge Chris Cook's seventh-floor courtroom on a warrant through Lorain Municipal Court, according to police and court records. A video surveillance cameras in Cook's courtroom captured the arrest. A copy of the video was obtained by The Chronicle-Telegram through a public records request. Stephenson was booked into the Lorain County Jail on the misdemeanor charge, spent Tuesday night in jail and was arraigned Wednesday morning in Lorain Municipal Court. He pleaded not guilty and was released on a personal bond just after 11 a.m. Wednesday, according to court and jail records. A temporary protection order was issued by the court on behalf of the alleged victim, and the next hearing in the case is scheduled Aug. 11 in front of Judge Mark Mihok. Stephenson is a partner in the Lorain law firm of Trigilio, Stephenson & Dattilo. According to his biography on the firm's website, he practices civil law including estate, business and probate law. In private practice for more than 30 years, Stephenson also is a former assistant Lorain County prosecutor, according to the online bio. Alleged victim's account The alleged incident occurred at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to a Lorain police report, and police went to the home just before 7 a.m. after receiving a domestic violence complaint. The alleged victim, identified as Stephenson's wife but with all her remaining identifying information redacted from the report, told officers Stephenson had left for work after an incident. The couple have "experienced ongoing marital issues" in recent years, she told police. Her husband has a temper and she accused him of prior violence — though she had never called police about it before, according to the report. Stephenson's "unpredictable behavior" allegedly caused her to be "constantly 'scared' of him," police wrote. The couple sleep in separate bedrooms but Stephenson keeps clothing in the master bedroom where his wife sleeps. That morning Stephenson allegedly tried to enter her bedroom, naked, to retrieve some clothes. She asked him to wait until she could leave and give him privacy, but Stephenson allegedly "unprovokedly pushed her into the door frame," injuring her left forearm, according to the police report. Stephenson then allegedly told her: "You will probably get a hammer and hit yourself to make it look worse," according to the report. Stephenson dressed and left. The alleged victim then contacted family before calling police to make a report, an officer wrote. Stephenson's account Lorain officers called Stephenson on the phone while he was in Cook's courtroom on a civil case. He agreed to meet with them after the hearing ended, and was taken into custody, read his Miranda rights and gave a statement. Video surveillance footage shows Stephenson waiting in Cook's courtroom for two-and-a-half minutes just after 10:30 a.m. Tuesday until a Lorain County Sheriff's deputy and two Lorain police officers walk into the courtroom escorted by Cook. Cook can be seen shaking Stephenson's hand before leaving the three police officers with Stephenson. According to the police report he was read his Miranda rights and voluntarily gave officers a statement. Stephenson's account was that he went into the master bedroom to get dressed after showering, which is when his wife woke up and began arguing with him. He said he didn't know what the argument was about because she starts arguments "regularly." As Stephenson got dressed, he said his wife blocked him from leaving the bedroom and refused to get out of his way. He told officers he "walked past" her and didn't recall having physical contact with her as he did. The two continued to argue, but no threats were exchanged according to Stephenson's account. Stephenson spoke to the Lorain officers for approximately 15 minutes, according to the video, before they handcuffed him, patted him down, took custody of his personal belongings and escorted him out of the courtroom. The officers and Stephenson appeared to have a courteous conversation, with Stephenson even seen to be laughing at one point on the video. Attorney Michael Camera is representing Stephenson. He noted Thursday that the police report said the alleged victim suffered no visible injuries. Camera confirmed that police waited for Stephenson to finish his business in court on Tuesday before arresting him. Camera said he knows both Stephenson and the alleged victim and that they are "very nice upstanding people." "I can attest to the good character of both of them. This obviously was something out of character for everyone. It was an argument," he said before declining further comment. The police report said Stephenson has no prior criminal record. Cook on Thursday said he was aware of the situation as it unfolded Tuesday in his courtroom. Stephenson "cooperated fully with my office and with law enforcement and we wish him the best going forward," Cook said. View the video in the digital version of this story at chroniclet.com. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.