Ex-'Hot Bench' Star Larry Bakman Sues Assault Accuser, Cites Self-Def -

the alleged attack UPDATE

1:13 PM PT -- Larry Bakman is now suing Fari Nejadpour after the latter claimed he'd been battered -- with LB not only defending his actions ... but arguing he had no other option under the circumstances.

UPDATE

In legal docs obtained by TMZ, Larry claims Fari's placed him in a false light by suggesting he was brutally beaten in the courthouse Monday -- because, according to Larry, that couldn't be further from the truth ... claiming Fari's account is grossly exaggerated.

UPDATE

Here's what happened, per Larry. He claims Fari essentially bum-rushed him in the building and was super aggressive by shoving a recorder in his face without permission ... a situation which Larry says he tried to walk away from, but allegedly couldn't as he says Fari pursued him.

UPDATE

He asserts that Fari was harassing him and made him fear for his safety -- and not just that, but was straight up getting into his personal space and essentially obstructing his movement. So, Larry says he did the only thing he could to break free ... claiming he "slightly pushed" him away.

UPDATE

Larry claims the contact was minimal -- just enough to get Fari up off of him -- but that the dude totally milked it ... acting as if he'd been punched in the chest by the Hulk Hogan and claims Larry "intentionally stumbled backward and unceremoniously fell to the floor."

UPDATE

Larry says Fari's responsible for this mess for initiating everything -- and adds that he's actually the one who needs to answer for it, legally. In addition to false light, Larry's suing Fari for assult, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Larry Bakman -- an ex-TV judge on the reality show "Hot Bench" -- might end up having to answer to one himself because an attorney claims he got violent ... and has the whole thing captured on audio.

Fari B. Nejadpour -- who's been repping a woman in a DV case here in L.A. -- tells TMZ ... Bakman is representing the woman's husband. Nejadpour says the case started last fall but things took a nasty turn this week.

According to Nejadpour ... Bakman had filed a motion asking that Nejadpour be disqualified as the wife's attorney due to an alleged conflict -- namely, he'd repped the aunt of a client of Bakman's about a year ago ... something Nejadpour says is completely irrelevant.

He filed an opposition to Larry's motion, which was going to be heard Monday in an L.A. courtroom -- Nejadpour tells us that's when he ran into Bakman in a courthouse hallway.

Nejadpour says he confronted Bakman about his filing, and claims Bakman responded with hostility ... allegedly replying, "F*** you, ass****."

Nejadpour tells us he was shocked and told Bakman he was going to record him to show the judge how he was behaving. He says he turned on the recorder and started following Bakman, who he says was walking away to enter the courtroom.

At this point -- which we're told is when the audio starts to pick up -- Nejadpour claims Bakman quickly turned around and punched him in the chest with both hands ... which Nejadpour says sent him crumbling to his feet and writhing in pain.

He tells us he checked into a hospital that day, where he currently remains. Nejadpour claims to have suffered a laceration to the right side of his chest and an injury to his knee ... he also says he wants Bakman prosecuted.

LAPD tells us a battery report was filed, and they're investigating. We're told Bakman hasn't been arrested.

We also reached out to Bakman, who declined to comment.

Originally Published -- 12:45 AM PT