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Ellis Rubin Resigns & Lionel Tate Claims Mom Abused Him 4/20/06 Noon Ted Scouten Ellis Rubin is no longer Lionel Tate's attorney. That's the news that was expected out of the Fort Lauderdale court hearing today. The news that wasn't expected was a real bombshell. A court appointed expert told the judge that Tate claims his mother used to beat him and broke his wrist when he was 10 years old. The psychiatrist also said Tate, who is now 19, is suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome and is having nightmares due to the repressed memories that are coming back now. Despite the statements made by the expert, Tate was ruled competent to stand trial. Tate's mother, who was in court today, did not comment on her son's allegations. Ellis Rubin's "motion to withdraw as attorney" was also granted. He filed the motion on Monday after claiming the convicted child killer refused to listen to his legal advice, and refused to meet with him. Rubin said that without cooperation, he could not do an acceptable job as Tate's attorney, and asked Judge Joel Lazarus to let him resign the case. A new attorney will be appointed and the next hearing is scheduled for May 18th. Rubin had filed documents asking Tate to be declared incompetent to assist in his own defense on a charge of armed robbery, in a case involving the 2005 robbery of a pizza delivery man, while Tate was on probation for the murder of playmate Tiffany Eunick. Rubin brokered a plea bargain in the case which limited the amount of time Tate would serve in prison. Tate was 12 when he was charged in Eunick's death. His first-degree murder conviction and accompanying life sentence garnered international attention when he became the youngest American ever sentenced to life in prison in 2001, when he was 14 years old. An appellate court overturned his conviction, resulting in a plea agreement to second-degree murder that freed Tate in January 2004.