TYLER, Tx., Dec. 7 – A 41-year-old Lindale area man surrendered to authorities about 9:30 this morning to face a charge of attempted murder in the October shooting of a former state district judge who remains hospitalized in Dallas.

William Joseph Amis Jr. was released from Smith County Jail after posting a $5,000 bond on the charge as set by Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Mrs. Leon Hick, said Sgt. Gregg Wilson of Smith County Sheriff’s Department.

Wilson said David Brown, 68, a former Grayson County state district judge, is undergoing physical therapy at Dallas Rehabilitation Institute. Brown was shot four times in a struggle at the Emerald Bay residence of William Joseph Amis Sr. on Oct. 29. He remained hospitalized in Tyler for several weeks following the shooting before being transferred to Dallas.

Wilson said Brown was shot four times with a .38-caliber pistol and one of the bullets remains lodged between two vertebrae in the base of the neck. The other bullets exited, he said.

Officials said Brown, who maintains a private law practice in Sherman, had been conservator of the estate of the elder Amis until a court ruling in Tyler Oct. 28 which gave temporary power of attorney to the younger Amis. Wilson said Brown was not aware of the court action when he went to the residence.

Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Johnny Beddingfield said the day of the shooting that witnesses reported Brown attempted to force his way into the house and “Mr. Amis’s son tried to stop him and get him to leave.”

Wilson said the younger Amis, who was accompanied today by Tyler attorney J.W. Tyner, is legally blind.

Wilson said the decision to notify Amis of the warrant for his arrest was made after investigation into the shooting was completed and turned over to District Attorney Jack Skeen’s office. He said Skeen’s office received the case Tuesday.

“We felt at the time (of the shooting) that there was some extenuating circumstances and that is why we didn’t make an arrest,” Wilson said. “We wanted to make sure that we had a thorough investigation before we turned it over to the DA’s office and just let them decide.”

Wilson said Texas Ranger Steve Black assisted in the investigation. Brown was judge of 59th District Court in Sherman 1965-75. He ran for state attorney general in 1970 and for the Fourth Congressional District seat in 1976.

He handled the extradition proceedings of Charles Watson, the Collin County man charged in the Sharon Tate murder with Charles Manson in 1969 in Los Angeles. Brown is the brother of Paul Brown of Sherman, a former U.S. attorney at Tyler and a current federal district judge in Sherman.

By FRED PETERS