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Lawyer Charged with Assault for Alleged Courthouse Bear Hug

Posted Jun 15, 2009 7:24 AM CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss

A Massachusetts lawyer has been charged with assault and battery for an alleged bear hug of another attorney in a courthouse lobby.

An assistant clerk magistrate found probable cause last week for the charges against lawyer Robert LeBlanc, who is deputy legal counsel for the Massachusetts Democratic Party, the Eagle-Tribune reports.

Lawyer Pamela Saia-Rogers told police that the incident occurred last Nov. 18 as she was talking to other lawyers in the Lawrence courthouse lobby. A police report says Saia-Rogers claimed LeBlanc grabbed her from behind, "wrapped his arms around her midsection just below her breast and pulled her tightly to him, pressing his pelvis against her backside" in a bear hug.

"She states he stated aloud to the colleagues standing there, 'Isn't she a beautiful Republican?' " the report said. Saia-Rogers said she waited until February to report the conduct to police because bar authorities were not acting on her complaint.

Both Saia-Rogers and LeBlanc represent indigent defendants. LeBlanc told the newspaper that Saia-Rogers' "story has changed since time has marched on since Nov. 18." Originally, she said nothing about a pelvis touching, he said.

He noted that Saia-Rogers failed in an attempt to get approval for a charge of indecent assault at the probable cause hearing. "Yesterday obviously was a huge victory, and another will follow," he told the Eagle-Tribune. "I'm confident at the end of the day I will be vindicated."

LeBlanc is “well-known in local political and civic circles,” the story says. He served as town manager and a council member of Methuen and is “involved with a bevy of community groups.”

Comments

1.

JN
Jun 15, 2009 7:56 AM CST

I wonder if she went right to the authorities or had the human decency to express that she was uncomfortable with what he did and ask for an apology?

It’s always best to assume that women with hyphenated surnames are completely humorless.

It’s also always good to ignore advice given on the abajournal comment section.

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2.

B. McLeod
Jun 15, 2009 9:27 AM CST

Whether or not the touching was “indecent,” the witnesses are reported as agreeing that it did occur.  If it was a non-consensual, unprivileged touching, the lawyer defendant probably should have known better.  I don’t think it is proper to bear hug someone just because they are a Republican.  Certainly, I would not engage in such conduct.

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3.

Anonymous
Jun 15, 2009 10:53 AM CST

This story reminds me of many years ago, when I was much more of a hottie, I had a colleague who was fond of sneaking up behind the cute gals and giving a big hug from behind, with or without the addition of holding his hands over their eyes.  I had asked him a couple of times, emphatically, not to hug me, but he ignored my polite requests.  So one time, when there were dozens of people around and I was talking on a pay phone (I told you this was a long time ago), Jim came up behind me.  As I ended my call he covered my eyes and gave me a big ol’ hug.  I shouted “Hey!” and jabbed my elbow back as hard as I could.  He was a bit shorter than me, and I was wearing heels, so my pointy rock-hard elbow caught him square in the chest.  (Extremely painful!  Debilitating, too.)  As I turned around to see the crumpled, wheezing mass of formerly-huggy Jim on the floor, I cooed “Oh, gee Jim!  I didn’t realize that was you.”  He gasped “Of course it’s me!”  I said “Yeah, but I had asked you not to sneak up on me like that anymore.  So it never occurred to me that it would be you.  All I knew was someone grabbed me and covered my eyes.  You would do the same, I’m sure.”
 
Not only did Huggy Jim never attempt to hug me anymore, he never even came within about thirty feet of me again after that.  He told everyone who would listen that I was a crazy dangerous bitch, but I got a few “Well done!” comments from other hug recipients.

Ah, good times!

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4.

B. McLeod
Jun 15, 2009 11:01 AM CST

All she said was “Heaven bless you,”
And made a mark upon his brow,
(With a kick that she had learned before she was saved),
So take warning all young men,
And shun the fatal curse of drink,
And don’t go ‘round bear-hugging lady lawyers.

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5.

HL
Jun 15, 2009 1:24 PM CST

Of course this guy was just copping a cheap feel.  How many male lawyers did he do that to?

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6.

KY Lawyer
Jun 15, 2009 3:23 PM CST

Reminds me of the time when I worked as a clerk/typist at Ft. Knox while in college (late ‘70’s). A gentleman co-worker (understandably) had lingering PTSD from his service in Vietnam.  I was told NEVER to walk up behind this man, because he might turn around & punch me out.  It seems that during his wartime service, the VC would often sneak up from behind & slit the throats of US infantrymen. Thus, anyone who came up behind this man would run the risk of being knocked to the ground. 

I might suggest this strategic counter-measure to this woman, instead of filing criminal or civil charges. 

Oh, and Poster #5 is correct, he was just copping a cheap feel.  No doubt many male posters would disagree, but it happens all the time to young, pretty women.

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7.

Anonymous
Jun 16, 2009 11:16 AM CST

I love the poem, McLeod.  I almost feel like I’ve been immortalized in a bit of Canterbury Tales now.

Going back to the original news blurb, I would like to think that any hug recipient is going to give at least one warning before taking action.  Don’t you all think that’s fair?  A hug may be uncommon in today’s business circles, but I don’t think it’s so uncommon as to warrant a response without a warning first.  I give hugs.  If I saw a dear colleague who I hadn’t seen in years, I could well imagine giving a bear hug.  Hopefully I am tuned in to my huggee’s body language enough to know whether they’re comfortable with getting hugged or not.

I think my form of action (a sharp elbow jab to the chest) worked well for me, but obviously not everyone is going to be comfortable doing that.  I think the other form of action—legal action, seeking criminal charges—is okay, too, BUT ONLY if you’ve warned the hugger at least once.

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