Larry Charles
Posted on 01/19/2007 8:36:29 PM PST by grjr21
Larry Charles returned to the scene of the alleged crime yesterday.
This time, sheriff's deputies said, he was wearing clothes. A suit and tie, to be exact.
Less than a week after sheriff's deputies say they caught Charles buck-naked with a 14-year-old girl inside the Criminal Justice Center, the shamed defense attorney was back representing clients.
"He's doing his best by going back to his job, which is what he is supposed to do," said his attorney, Angelo Cameron. "He has children to feed."
Charles' courthouse appearance set off a buzz as everyone from clerks to cops phoned each other to report "Larry sightings." Even janitors were atwitter.
"Everyone is calling saying, 'Hey, guess who I just saw?' and 'What is he doing here?' " said a sheriff's deputy, one of many people interviewed who did not want to be named in the newspaper.
Looking for Larry became something of a sport as the morning wore on. Another sheriff's deputy who got tipped off rushed to Room 705 for a sneak peek, only to be disappointed.
"I was told he was here," he said. "I missed him."
Indeed, earlier, Charles appeared before Judge Joan A. Brown, who presided over a potpourri of sordid cases, including an indecent exposure in which a man pleaded guilty to flashing his penis in an elevator.
On Monday, Charles, 49, was arrested and charged with aggravated statutory sexual assault, corrupting the morals of a minor and false imprisonment. He posted a $5,000 bail.
According to police records, Charles ushered the girl into a secluded, third-floor conference room and barricaded the door with a chair. Then he stripped naked and masturbated in front of her.
Court employees and attorneys who saw Charles yesterday morning described a changed man. The normally jokey and chatty attorney seemed tame, even sheepish.
"He seemed reserved, embarrassed," one lawyer said. "Unless you're mentally insane, you'd have to be embarrassed. I mean the whole world just found out you're a pervert."
The "Larry sightings" began early at the police stationhouse at 55th and Pine streets, where lawyers said they spotted him representing a client at a preliminary hearing. Then Charles headed for the Criminal Justice Center in Center City. There, he represented a client in Courtroom 906, the so-called "Love Court," where domestic cases are heard.
And in Room 705, Charles appeared on behalf of a client who had been charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property.
"I was shocked to see him in court representing someone so soon, particularly given the serious allegations that occurred in the very courthouse he represents people in," another lawyer noted.
While most said they were surprised to see Charles, prosecutors were prepared.
The city district attorney's office armed prosecutors with copies of a "conflict of interest colloquy" to recite in court if they came in contact with any of Charles' clients, according to D.A. spokeswoman Cathie Abookire.
"It's to ensure that the clients are fully aware of the circumstances," she said.
A "conflict of interest colloquy" is a written statement designed to inform defendants that their attorney is himself a defendant being prosecuted by the district attorney. Defendants are asked if they would like new counsel and if not, they're required to waive their right to contest the quality of legal representation if convicted in the future.
In theory, a colloquy is designed to prevent convicted criminals from later claiming their lawyer didn't aggressively fight their case because he was trying to curry favor with prosecutors.
"As a lawyer, your credibility is critical," said Philadelphia attorney Abraham C. Reich, who teaches legal ethics and advocacy courses at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. "This guy's credibility, I think, is seriously impaired. That's why the D.A. is making sure that the defendants [Charles] is representing understand the situation."
If Charles were to defend a client charged with having sex with a minor, for instance, jurors would be less likely to believe defense arguments.
"You would have a hard time believing anything [Charles said]," Reich noted. "Here's a guy who has been charged with the same thing."
The Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has the power to disbar a lawyer, but the board usually waits until a case is resolved before taking action, Reich said.
While the board can temporarily suspend an attorney's license to practice law as the case plays out, it typically does so only if the attorney is charged with murder or is a danger to clients, Reich said.
As for Charles showing up in court yesterday? "Now that's chutzpah, literally translated as a lot of nerve," Reich said.
Larry Charles
You just can't make up stuff like this
Anyone else and he'd be in jail, which is where he ought to be. This is outrageous!!!
Perv Lawyer is a little redundant, isn't it?
How is jerking off in front of a 14yr old girl, not endangering her life?
"He has children to feed molest."
The fruit of affirmative action.....
Nifong's replacement.
yep.
Some people have no shame..........
What's wrong with this picture?
His defense, "But at least I'm not a rich, elitist, racist, lacrosse playing white boy..."
"Even janitors were atwitter. "
All the janitors I know seldom are atwitter. This must mean something big.
$ 5000 that is it??? Thats disgusting.
Good thing he's a Democrat.
Good thing he's black.
Otherwise, there might actually be consequences besides embarassment. Looks like Marion Barry and OJ have set an example.
Actually, my question is why this isn't considered kidnapping.
Huh? How is it endangering her life?
"How is jerking off in front of a 14yr old girl, not endangering her life?"
Huh? How is it endangering her life?
Just what I said, I mean. It may cause problems for this girl, in relation to normalcy. Maybe it won't. I'm not all milktoasty about sexual abuse. She may have the right upbringing and people around her to handle this, but it could have psychological long term effect, also. Something like this happened to my ex-wife. It has potential to leave scars.
Go ahead and condone it, but it's just not healthy behavior, barricading the door, and subjecting her to that.
Ah. So it may or not disturb her emotionally. That's a far cry from "engangering her life".
"Go ahead and condone it"
I question your hysterics and suddenly I'm condoning the behavior? This guy isn't the only one who needs help, if you get my drift.
They charged him with false imprisonment.
Yeah, he'll probably plead NOT GUILTY. "Little B*tch set me up!"
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