EPHRATA - A Moses Lake attorney charged with assaulting his brother was arrested after failing to appear for court hearing.

Grant County Superior Court Judge John Antosz issued a $5,000 bench warrant for Rolando M. Adame, 60, after the attorney failed to appear for a March 12 hearing, according to court records. Adame is charged with assault in the first degree for allegedly shooting his brother outside of a Stratford Road residence.

Adame told Grant County Judge Evan Sperline he marked the wrong date on his calendar.

"I've been trying to close my practice and dealing with some very significant issues," he said, acting as his own attorney. "I've been trying to deal with the bar association at the same time."

He realized his mistake after someone told him about missing the court date, saying he contacted the prosecutor's office the next day, Adame said.

"(I) asked them if I could come in today and take care of it ... They told me, 'Yes,' at first. Then I started to get ready to come to work over here and they told me, 'No, (the bench warrant has) been issued already.'"

Prosecutors recommended he file a motion to have the bench warrant heard, Adame said. He spoke with an attorney in Pullman, and didn't address the issue until officers arrested him Monday morning.

"I was brought to court in chains. I've done everything the judge told me," Adame said. "It feels like I'm being selectively crucified. It feels awful. I'm not saying what I've done is correct. I'm just saying, 'It's out of control.'"

Deputy Prosecutor Ryan Valaas responded by saying Adame should have taken steps to quash the motion or appear before the judge in the two weeks since the warrant was issued. He requested a $25,000 increase in Adame's bail.

"Assault in the first degree is not a minor offense," Valaas said. "Mr. Adame is an officer of the court. He became aware of the warrant the day of, or the day after (it was issued.) It's disconcerting that he didn't take immediate steps to remedy that."

Adame responded to the suggested increase in the bail by saying it would be a lot of money for him to come up with after already obtaining the $50,000 bond.

Sperline expressed frustration that Adame's $50,000 bond wasn't forfeited when the warrant was issued. He agreed with Valaas, saying the attorney Adame spoke with wasn't in court, and calling his argument about the attorney meaningless.

"Mr. Adame is representing himself at this point ... so the obligation is Mr. Adame's start to finish, and he failed to appear and failed to address the warrant (in a timely manner)," he said. "If the process worked like the statute directed it to work, when the court issued the warrant, it would have also entered judgment against Mr. Adame for $50,000, and judgment against his bonding company in the same amount."

Sperline continued, saying the opportunity to enter the judgments was gone, and state law doesn't allow him to increase the bail past $50,000. The bond remained issued.

Adame is accused of shooting his brother with shotgun pellets following an argument.

The victim's girlfriend reported Adame and his brother were living in a duplex and arguing about an electricity bill for at least two weeks. The victim and his brother left the residence about two weeks prior to the crime after Adame had cut a hole in the wall dividing the duplex, according to a Grant County sheriff's report.

The victim's girlfriend and a friend of the victim reported Adame came outside and unplugged a generator to a trailer parked on the property, according to the police report. Adame and his brother allegedly began arguing.

Both witnesses reported a window of the fifth- wheel trailer was broken, but the accounts differ. The victim's girlfriend reported the window was broken after the argument began. The witness reported Adame grabbed a rake and broke the window, starting the argument, according to the police report.

The two allegedly struggled over a shovel during the argument, before both men said they were going to call the police, according to a witness report.

The two continued yelling at each other as Adame walked into the house. The victim reportedly followed. Adame allegedly returned with a shotgun, according to court records. Adame reportedly shot his brother striking the victim's hand, leg and lower torso with pellets.

Adame repeated several portions of the story to the police, saying he wanted his brother and girlfriend off of the property, and he broke the window on the trailer to get it ready for salvage. He reportedly said the action started an argument, which ended when the victim pushed Adame against a pickup truck, according to the police report.

"(Adame) said he went inside and found a telephone book and was looking for the number to call the cops, but found out he had a Yakima area phone book," according to the police report. "He attempted to call his ex-wife ... but she didn't answer her phone."

Adame allegedly told police he heard a window break and grabbed a shotgun, according to the police report. The victim was reportedly walking away from the home when Adame walked out with the gun.

"(When Adame came out of the house, the victim) turned and started back toward the house in an aggressive manner," according to the police report. "He had something in his hand. (Adame) didn't think it was a gun, but could have been a rock. (Adame) said he pumped a round in the chamber and raised the shotgun above (the victim) and fired a warning shot."

Adame reportedly said he went back inside the home to call police, and saw a police cruiser outside the house.

"(Adame) admitted that as a man he felt he was justified, but as an attorney he knew he'd gone outside the scope of self-defense," according to the police report.