Sean Avery, was in court yesterday in connection with a 2019 charge of criminal mischief, a misdemeanor. It is alleged that Avery rammed the door or a parked car with his scooter. During the time Avery was known for posting controversial videos on Instagram of himself confronting people who broke "bike lane etiquette".
The judge in the case informed him that he had no legal experience and advised him against representing himself. But Avery stood firm on his decision, his lawyer, Dmitriy Shakhnevich, left the courtroom shortly after.
In this case Avery was not entitled to a jury trial under New York law, due to this being a relatively minor class B misdemeanor charge. The prosecutor in the case had offered Avery a plea deal, but Avery refused to accept on the grounds that the deal would require him to successfully complete anger management training.