"Former Hawkins County prosecutor Doug Godbee has been arrested on a sealed indictment warrant charging him with one count of official misconduct in connection to sexfor-leniency allegations. The charge is the result of nine complaints made by female drug defendants or mothers of female drug defendants who claim Godbee offered them leniency in court in exchange for sexual favors. In some of those cases sexual contact is alleged, but most involve allegations that Godbee solicited sex in exchange for a favorable outcome in a criminal case.
Godbee, 57, [ . . . ] was named in an April 25 sealed Hawkins ounty grand jury indictment but couldn’t be served with the warrant because he was hospitalized at the time following an apparent overdose of sleeping pills that occurred at his home on April 20.
Special prosecutor Russell Johnson of Kingston told the Times-News Tuesday that although there were nine civil complaints filed against Godbee, and nine alleged victims, the best strategy for a criminal prosecution was to lump all those complaints into one charge of official misconduct. [. . .]
Godbee was arrested Monday evening and released from the Hawkins County Jail on $10,000 bond. A June 3 arraignment date was tentatively set in Hawkins County Criminal Court, although that may change due to the need for a special judge being appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court to preside over the case. Official misconduct is a Class E felony with a sentence range of one to six years and a fine of up to $3,000. Defendants with no previous record, such as Godbee, are eligible for judicial diversion. In such cases probation would be the sentence, and if the terms of probation were met the defendant’s record would be expunged.
'I’ve already indicated, when his attorney asked me, that I would oppose that,' Johnson said.
Godbee served as an assistant attorney general in Rogersville for more than three decades. He resigned in 2006 amid allegations he had a sexual relationship with a victim in a case he prosecuted but was reinstated in 2008 after an investigation didn’t result in criminal charges.
He resigned again last September after a female drug defendant and her mother came forward with new allegations."
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Wanna guess how many victims are out there over his 3 decade career?
OMG. You are back. Please check out my new CLE at University of Kentucky CLE styled "UK CLE Sex with Clients in 3-D." (No sex of course, since this is approved by the KBA.) We can have some fun and make fun of ourselves - Yes? I cite you in my law review commentary. You have contributed something positive, I think? So I hope you are ok.
ReplyDeleteUndy
Undy--
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind comment. I look forward to the continuing effort to address "randy" lawyers, judges and others who should know better. Send an email...I think there's a function that permits that and we'll arrange a confab.
BL