Legal Ethics
Lawyer Sentenced to Jail for Pulling Woman’s Hair, Making ‘Pervert’ Joke
Posted Aug 14, 2008, 09:37 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
An Idaho lawyer has been sentenced to six days in jail for pulling a state caseworker’s hair and making a sexual comment during a court proceeding.
Lawyer Kent Whittington of Idaho Falls acknowledges he touched the woman in the courtroom and was surprised at her reaction, KPVI.com reports. He then tried to make light of the situation, he claims, with this “stupid” comment: "Maybe it's the pervert in me coming out but I've always wondered if someone could feel the tip of their hair."
Whittington was convicted of battery for the incident. The case worker, Tamara White of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, said she felt violated and repulsed by the lawyer’s actions.
Whittington was also sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to attend counseling, the Associated Press reports. The state bar will also investigate the incident.
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