The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) didn’t have a problem with attorney W. Keith Wyatt when he successfully defended them in a lawsuit last year by blaming a 14-year-old girl for having sex with a teacher. It saved the district a lot of money.
But they do have a problem with him now after word of how he won the case received publicity last week and he told public radio station KPCC on Thursday, “She lied to her mother so she could have sex with her teacher. She went to a motel in which she engaged in voluntary consensual sex with her teacher. Why shouldn’t she be responsible for that?” Full Article
Related
Criminal Law Says Minors Can’t Consent — But Some Civil Courts Disagree (NPR)
Essentially,
“Thanks, counselor, for saving us a ton of money! Your fired!”
Sad state of affairs when a legally constitutional argument is made that results in such action. When the laws are set based on irrational interpretation, irrationality ensues in its litigation and effect.
NEWS: A California lawmaker is now proposing that this legal argument (“minir consented to sexual activity”) be banned from use in civil cases as it is from criminal cases. But, so far, I have not heard any news media point out the very relevant fact that the rules and standards for civil procedures are notably different from criminal procedures. Not least regarding the standard for “guilt”. In criminal court, it is roughly, “beyond a reasonable doubt”. In civil actions, the bar for being found “guilty” is much lower, so it seems appropriate that different defense arguments should be permitted (whether some lawmaker finds the arguments distasteful or not).
Let me chime in one more time.
I am still a bit peeved that the lawyer is getting the short shrift here. It is his constitutional DUTY to attack the law as much as possible with logical arguments. It is up to the JUDGE to allow or disallow certain arguments according to his or her constitutional adherence to the law.
In short, if anyone is at “fault” it is the judge for allowing the supposition to be entered into the court record (presuming the opposing lawyer originally objected). In short, this is the first time I have EVER heard of a lawyer who constitutionally argued a case and was fired for winning. Of course, it is the erratic and irrational sex offender laws that have caused such a discrepency.
The attorney did what he had to do in order to prevail.
The hypocrisy here is on one hand LAUSD is probably in the forefront of unconstitutional acts against registered citizens riding the child safety bandwagon but eager to save money based on a child’s poor decision that ultimately put her in harm’s way.
Ultimately their overriding responsibility is to their students – but here it is to protecting their coffers. Shameless, no doubt.