Lawyer charged with assault after shaking prosecutors' hand

A lawyer has been charged with assault for shaking a federal prosecutor's hand so hard, authorities said, that it injured her shoulder.

Kathy Brewer Rentas, 49, was arrested Thursday after attending a court hearing for her husband, who was accused of violating the terms of his probation for a cocaine distribution case. The husband, Anthony Rentas, was sentenced to 90 days of house arrest.

After the hearing, Brewer Rentas asked to shake hands with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Keene.

A court security officer reported that Brewer Rentas shook Keene's hand so forcefully that the prosecutor's arm was nearly ripped out of its socket.

Brewer Rentas spent a night in jail and was freed Friday on $100,000 bail. She was ordered to stay away from Keene and undergo a psychological evaluation to determine whether she needs counselling.

Brewer Rentas works as a commercial litigation attorney for a law firm in Hollywood, Fla. If convicted, she faces up to a year in prison and could be penalized by the Florida Bar.