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WILKES-BARRE — An inmate has been acquitted of assaulting an SCI-Retreat corrections officer, although the defendant was not even in the courtroom for the trial.

Ricky Tejada, 38, was found not guilty by a jury on Thursday on one charge each of aggravated assault and simple assault.

Court records show Tejada has a history of assault charges, including numerous charges at other prison facilities around the state, including three more outstanding cases in Luzerne County.

Tejada, from Brooklyn, N.Y., was convicted of attempted homicide in 2001 for a 2000 shooting in Lehigh County.

In this case, Tejada was accused of kicking correctional officer Zachary Shultz in the groin while Shultz was trying to escort Tejada to another part of the jail. The incident, which allegedly occurred in June 2018, happened while Tejada was handcuffed and shackled.

Tejada was accused of kicking Shultz after the officer released some of the slack on the shackles so Tejada could retrieve his glasses from the cell.

Tejada, whose case was heard before Luzerne County President Judge Michael T. Vough, was tried in absentia, which means he was not present for the proceedings. Records show Vough ordered the trial to proceed without Tejada after he refused to leave his jail cell at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.

The jury debated for a bit more than an hour Thursday morning before returning a not guilty verdict on both counts.

It’s not the end of legal issues for Tejada, though, who is currently serving numerous sentences for similar acts of violence. He is scheduled to appear before Vough again on Feb. 10 for the other Luzerne County cases he’s facing.

Ricky Tejada, upper right, has been acquitted of acquitted of assaulting a corrections officer at SCI-Retreat, seen here.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/web1_Tejada_retreat-1.jpg.optimal.jpgRicky Tejada, upper right, has been acquitted of acquitted of assaulting a corrections officer at SCI-Retreat, seen here. Times Leader file photo

By Patrick Kernan

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Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @PatKernan