Louisville Courier Journal Readies Another "HIT" On David Williams Based On STALE Unfounded Allegations.
Media entitled to records into David Williams sexual-abuse investigation, judge rules
Written by Andrew Wolfson
A Franklin Circuit Court judge ruled Wednesday that news outlets are entitled to most of the records in a Kentucky Attorney General’s office investigation of a woman’s allegations in 2002 that state Sen. David Williams sexually abused her while acting her as a criminal-defense lawyer.
The office investigated the claims at the time and said it found no grounds to conduct a criminal investigation. Williams, now the Republican candidate for governor, denied the allegations at the time and said he never had sexual contact with the woman, Lori Radford-Sandlin.
Suing under the names “John Roe” and “Jane Doe,” Williams and Radford-Sandlin sought to block the release of the file to The Courier-Journal and Lexington Herald-Leader, saying it would invade their privacy.
But The Courier-Journal intervened in the suit, and Judge Thomas Wingate ruled that all records in the file should be released, except for an interview summary report that contains “details of a personal nature, namely detailed allegations of sexual acts involving Ms. Doe and Mr. Roe and sexual misbehavior on the part of Mr. Roe.”
The records that Wingate ruled are public won’t be released until Williams and Radford-Sanlin have a chance to appeal.
Williams’ lawyer, Gregg Hovious, said he hadn’t read the opinion or discussed it yet with his client; Radford-Sandlin’s lawyer, Stephen Poindexter, said he and his client were pleased with the decision and do not intend to appeal.
“This was a very traumatic event for my client and the details do not need to be rehashed 10 years later,” he said.
Jon Fleischaker, The Courier-Journal’s lawyer, said: “We would have liked to have gotten the particulars of the factual allegations, given that David Williams is a public figure and running for governor. But all in all, we are pleased with the ruling … that the rest of the file is open.”
Wingate ruled that the newspapers were entitled to Radford-Sandlin’s letters of complaint, her prison records, an attorney general’s memorandum and a supplemental report closing the case.
Wingate said even though those records may result in “inconvenience or embarrassment” to Roe — and cautioned that the allegations were “unsworn and unproven” — the public’s interest in the records outweighed that because he is a public figure.
Fleischaker has identified Roe as Williams, and in a brief interview, Hovious said his client might not decide Tuesday whether to appeal because he is very busy “running for governor.”
The Courier-Journal sought a copy of the attorney general's investigation earlier this year under the Kentucky Open Records Act. The attorney general’s office gave Radford-Sandlin an opportunity to object on privacy grounds. Williams later objected as well.
Radford-Sandlin was serving time for theft and bail-jumping in 2002 when she wrote two letters to then-Gov. Paul Patton, alleging that Williams didn't properly represent her in criminal cases because he asked to be paid with sexual favors.
She asked Patton for a pardon or to intervene with a Fayette County judge who was to sentence her on a drug charge.
The governor's office referred the matter to the attorney general's office, which after a preliminary review said no criminal investigation was warranted and referred the matter to the Kentucky Bar Association. Neither the bar nor the Kentucky Supreme Court took any public action on the case.
Williams at the time played for reporters a recording of what he described as an unedited telephone conversation with Radford-Sandlin in which she said she and Williams never had a sexual relationship.
He also said then that Radford-Sandlin's criminal record proved she is a "pathological liar."
Radford-Sandlin, who now lives in Elizabethtown, has declined recent requests for an interview.
Written by Andrew Wolfson
A Franklin Circuit Court judge ruled Wednesday that news outlets are entitled to most of the records in a Kentucky Attorney General’s office investigation of a woman’s allegations in 2002 that state Sen. David Williams sexually abused her while acting her as a criminal-defense lawyer.
The office investigated the claims at the time and said it found no grounds to conduct a criminal investigation. Williams, now the Republican candidate for governor, denied the allegations at the time and said he never had sexual contact with the woman, Lori Radford-Sandlin.
Suing under the names “John Roe” and “Jane Doe,” Williams and Radford-Sandlin sought to block the release of the file to The Courier-Journal and Lexington Herald-Leader, saying it would invade their privacy.
But The Courier-Journal intervened in the suit, and Judge Thomas Wingate ruled that all records in the file should be released, except for an interview summary report that contains “details of a personal nature, namely detailed allegations of sexual acts involving Ms. Doe and Mr. Roe and sexual misbehavior on the part of Mr. Roe.”
The records that Wingate ruled are public won’t be released until Williams and Radford-Sanlin have a chance to appeal.
Williams’ lawyer, Gregg Hovious, said he hadn’t read the opinion or discussed it yet with his client; Radford-Sandlin’s lawyer, Stephen Poindexter, said he and his client were pleased with the decision and do not intend to appeal.
“This was a very traumatic event for my client and the details do not need to be rehashed 10 years later,” he said.
Jon Fleischaker, The Courier-Journal’s lawyer, said: “We would have liked to have gotten the particulars of the factual allegations, given that David Williams is a public figure and running for governor. But all in all, we are pleased with the ruling … that the rest of the file is open.”
Wingate ruled that the newspapers were entitled to Radford-Sandlin’s letters of complaint, her prison records, an attorney general’s memorandum and a supplemental report closing the case.
Wingate said even though those records may result in “inconvenience or embarrassment” to Roe — and cautioned that the allegations were “unsworn and unproven” — the public’s interest in the records outweighed that because he is a public figure.
Fleischaker has identified Roe as Williams, and in a brief interview, Hovious said his client might not decide Tuesday whether to appeal because he is very busy “running for governor.”
The Courier-Journal sought a copy of the attorney general's investigation earlier this year under the Kentucky Open Records Act. The attorney general’s office gave Radford-Sandlin an opportunity to object on privacy grounds. Williams later objected as well.
Radford-Sandlin was serving time for theft and bail-jumping in 2002 when she wrote two letters to then-Gov. Paul Patton, alleging that Williams didn't properly represent her in criminal cases because he asked to be paid with sexual favors.
She asked Patton for a pardon or to intervene with a Fayette County judge who was to sentence her on a drug charge.
The governor's office referred the matter to the attorney general's office, which after a preliminary review said no criminal investigation was warranted and referred the matter to the Kentucky Bar Association. Neither the bar nor the Kentucky Supreme Court took any public action on the case.
Williams at the time played for reporters a recording of what he described as an unedited telephone conversation with Radford-Sandlin in which she said she and Williams never had a sexual relationship.
He also said then that Radford-Sandlin's criminal record proved she is a "pathological liar."
Radford-Sandlin, who now lives in Elizabethtown, has declined recent requests for an interview.
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posted by KYJurisDoctor at 4:44 PM
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