BJ Penn to defend himself in court

HILO (HawaiiNewsNow) - UFC Hall-of-Famer BJ Penn, 46, was back in a Hilo courtroom Friday morning, for charges of assault and violation of a restraining order.

Penn is accused of assaulting his mother and violating her temporary restraining order against him by going to her home in June.

Penn still does not have an attorney and now wants to represent himself.

The judge granted the public defender’s motion to withdraw from the case.

The court will discuss the possibility of granting Penn a court-appointed “standby counsel” during his next hearing in August.