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
Make us preferred on Google

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

Florence Pugh; sign for Cornell University; Josh Gad
Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Netflix; Matt Burkhartt/Getty Images; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Disney

Florence Pugh And Josh Gad Lead Celebrity Outrage After Cornell Frat Members Assigned Essays As Punishment For Sexual Assault

About a week ago, the story of the "Cornell 7" allegations broke publicly when a civil lawsuit was filed by a former Cornell University student known only as Jane Doe. The lawsuit detailed an October 2024 sexual assault at the Chi Phi fraternity house and Cornell University's handling of the assault after it was reported to school officials.

The public backlash against the seven rapists and four university officials named in the suit, as well as Cornell University, the Ivy League, and fraternities as a whole has been swift. Many people have shared their own experiences with institutions of higher learning and the mishandling of sexual assaults.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Luanne James
WKRN News 2/YouTube

Heroic Tennessee Librarian Sues After Being Fired For Refusing To Hide LGBTQ+ Books From Kids

Luanne James, the former library director of Tennessee's Rutherford County, has filed a lawsuit against the county's library board after she was terminated for refusing to move LGBTQ+ books from the children's section to the adult section.

The board’s decision to move the roughly 100 children’s books to the adult section followed a statewide “age-appropriateness review” ordered the previous year by Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, a Republican.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images

Trump Hit With Blistering Factcheck After Making Patently False Claim About Prices Going 'Way Down'

President Donald Trump was swiftly fact-checked by CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale after he claimed to members of the press that "almost every price has come way down" following Joe Biden's presidency.

Earlier in the day, Trump bragged to reporters that the United States has the "best poverty," sparking immediate criticism. He continued to lie later, even as inflation remains above the level recorded when Biden left office, economic growth has slowed, and the cost of filling a gas tank has surged roughly 50% since the war against Iran began.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump in campaign ad
U.S. Government

Trump's Latest Government-Funded Campaign Ad Just Aired On National TV—And Critics Are Crying Foul

President Donald Trump and the White House are facing criticism after Fox aired a new taxpayer-funded campaign ad that was "paid for by the U.S. government" several times over the weekend.

The black-and-white ad uses slowed footage of Trump walking through a hallway, accompanied by his voiceover pledging that "this is the final battle." It ran during at least two of Fox’s Sunday NFL broadcasts, appearing during the Washington Commanders-Seattle Seahawks game and the Carolina Panthers-Cleveland Browns matchup, as well as on Fox News.

Keep ReadingShow less
Paulina Porizkova speaks candidly about aging and the expectations placed on women as they grow older.
@paulinaporizkov/Instagram

Paulina Porizkova Speaks Out About How Women Are 'Expected To Go Silent' As They Get Older In Powerful Video

Paulina Porizkova knows what it’s like to have all eyes on her. The supermodel rose to fame in the 1980s, but at 61, she’s speaking candidly about what happens when society stops looking at women the same way.

The Czech-born model became a fixture in fashion and beauty, from back-to-back Sports Illustrated Swimsuit covers in 1984 and 1985 and a longtime partnership with Estée Lauder to a stint behind the judges’ table on America’s Next Top Model.

Keep ReadingShow less