Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Colorado Lawyer Who Called Judge A 'Gay Fat F*g' Claims He Isn't Homophobic—He's Just Not 'Politically Correct'

Colorado Lawyer Who Called Judge A 'Gay Fat F*g' Claims He Isn't Homophobic—He's Just Not 'Politically Correct'
Sirijit Jongcharoenkulchai / EyeEm, via Getty Images

Apparently, client-attorney privilege flies out the window when the attorney starts rattling off homophobic slurs via email.

Instead, the comments become VERY public when they're submitted as evidence in the lawyer's very own personal hearing.


Denver, Colorado, lawyer Robert E. Abrams has been slapped with disciplinary measures after clients of his reported that he referred to a presiding judge with homophobic and fat-shaming slurs.

Abrams, in order to avoid a three-month suspension, must now complete 18 months of cultural sensitivity training, the American Bar Association Journal reports.

The trouble began back in 2016. A married couple hired Abrams to represent them in a construction contract dispute they had with the builder.

Judge Phillip Douglass, who presided over the case, apparently yelled at Abrams during a 2016 case management conference. Abrams did not take it well.

Though tight-lipped in the courtroom, Abrams took to email and vented his frustrations to his clients.

Colorado Supreme Court documents summarizing Abrams' subsequent disciplinary hearing include the text of his email:

"The judge hates me. It happens, it's not the first time. I probably remind him of someone who beat him up [when he] was a fat kid and now that he's a big fat judge he gets even w/ the bullies. Maybe he just hates Jews, who knows?"
"I was getting yelled at by Fatso. The judge is a gay, fat, f*g, now it's out there."

It's worth noting that even in his most bigoted moment, Abrams' lawyerly attention to detail made sure to capitalize his fat-shaming title.

During his disciplinary hearing, Abrams took the "political correctness" route to defend himself.

"Respondent is simply not a politically correct individual, and will never be politically correct because of his background, where and when he was raised, and life experiences…of which Respondent is proud."

As for his use of the homophobic slur, Abrams had an answer for that too, contending that the term, in his experience, was used to describe "a sissy" and not sexual preference. Abrams continued, "That's how the bullies talked to the weaklings when I grew up...You come on me, and I'm coming right back."

To further position the ordeal as a one-man anti-bullying campaign, Abrams cited his upbringing in High Park, Illinois, where he claimed to be bullied often, solidifying his self-declared title of "Chicago Street Fighter."

Abrams also attempted to prove a lack of homophobia by noting that he's represented multiple LGBTQ clients in the past.

According to his final opinion,William Lucero, the presiding judge at the disciplinary hearing did not yield to those rebuttals:

"The legal regulation system does—and should—set minimum standards for proper conduct when lawyers represent clients and in that role serve as intermediaries between clients and the legal system."
"This rule does not regulate bigotry; it regulates behavior. … In his private life, [Abrams] is free to speak in whatever manner he chooses. When representing clients, however, [Abrams] must put aside the schoolyard code of conduct and adhere to professional standards."
"[The legal] system is meant to serve all and dispense justice equally, without regard to race, gender, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status; when lawyers represent that system, their conduct must give effect to those principles."

Abrams plans to appeal Lucero's ruling. In the meantime, it's likely he hesitates at the keyboard before firing off email rants about this judge.

This shirt is available here.

Amazon

More from Trending

Screenshot of Molly Ringwald; Donald Trump
@mollyringwald/Instagram; Win McNamee/Getty Images

Molly Ringwald Urges Fans To Speak Out Against ICE And 'Fascist' Trump In Powerful Video

Actor Molly Ringwald—best known for her roles as a member of the "Brat Pack" in films like Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club—denounced President Donald Trump and ICE, telling fans she "can’t stay silent and neither should you."

Ringwald, speaking out mere days after ICE agents murdered ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, told her followers in a post on Instagram that she had previously "been so proud to be an American but right now this is a fascist government.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Liam Conejo Ramos receiving pilot wings
@johnquinones/Instagram

5-Year-Old Boy Abducted By ICE Gets Wings From Pilot On Flight Home To Minneapolis In Sweet Viral Video

5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was taken to an ICE detention facility in Texas along with his father, finally returned home to Minneapolis on Sunday and received his pilot wings thanks to Delta Air Lines pilots on the flight from San Antonio.

Ramos and his father were abducted by ICE agents on their way home from preschool in the Minneapolis area last month; Ramos is the fourth student from the Columbia Heights School District to be swept up in the Trump administration's nationwide immigration crackdown.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Carlson in pink jacket and Carlson from interview
MPR News

Woman In Pink Jacket Who Filmed Alex Pretti's Murder Speaks Out In Emotional Interview

Stella Carlson, better known online as the "woman in the pink jacket" who recorded the murder of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis, is urging Americans not to let ICE "intimidate" them.

Calls for an investigation have intensified from across the political spectrum after analysis of multiple videos showed ICE officers removing a handgun from Pretti—a weapon that authorities said Pretti was permitted to carry but was not handling at the time—before fatally shooting him.

Keep ReadingShow less
A photo of purse with "See you later" and a waving hand
Photo by Junseong Lee on Unsplash

People Break Down The Real Reason They Stopped Liking Someone But Never Told Them

Not every relationship is a forever deal.

Sometimes it's best to just let people go.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jordin Sparks; Halle Berry
Gary Gershoff/Getty Images; Kate Green/Amazon MGM Studios/Sony Pictures Entertainment/Getty Images

Fans Defend Jordin Sparks After She Publicly Asks Halle Berry To Read Her Screenplay About Menopause

You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take, and singer Jordin Sparks put that philosophy into action at the end of January.

Halle Berry has been a household name in Hollywood for the last few decades, and now in the middle of her life, she's loudly advocating for increased representation and awareness around women's health and women's experiences, especially what happens to a woman's body during perimenopause and menopause.

Keep ReadingShow less