Legal News

?Foolish Things? or Criminal Acts? Pregaming the Samuel Kent Trial

By Ashby Jones

The long-awaited criminal trial of U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent opens today down in Houston. Kent has been indicted on five felony counts of sexually abusing two federal-court employees. Click here for the Houston Chronicle article; here for a take from our own Nathan Koppel.

The judge has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. His attorney, Richard DeGuerin, who represented Branch Davidians leader David Koresh back in the 1990s, declined to be interviewed for this article in light of a gag order issued in the case. However, he told the WSJ last year that the judge had done some foolish things, though none were criminal. (Click here, here, here, here, here and here for earlier LB coverage.)

Prosecutors alleged in the indictment that on two occasions Judge Kent, appointed to the bench in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush, touched the groin, breast and buttocks of Cathy McBroom, his former case manager, without her permission. In another alleged act of abuse, prosecutors claim the judge forced McBroom’s head toward his groin area.

DeGuerin told the Journal last year, in an interview conducted before a gag order was instated, that any contact between the judge and Ms. McBroom was “enthusiastically consensual.” He added: “Judge Kent has very frankly admitted that for a time after the death of his first wife in 2000…that he went off the deep end and drank too much and did foolish things.”

If convicted of all charges, Kent could face a maximum penalty of life in prison. In such a case, Congress might also get involved, possibly to revoke Kent’s life tenure as a federal judge.

Jury selection in the case is due to begin Monday. The case will be heard by U.S. District Judge C. Roger Vinson of Florida, who was assigned to the case.

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on February 23, 2009 (boomark / email).