Lawyer Accused of Sexual Harassment Says Testosterone Meds Made Him Do It

Posted Aug 13, 2010 2:28 PM CDT

By Mark Hansen ABA Journal

          A Kansas lawyer accused of sexually harassing five judicial assistants over a two-year period claimed that a medication he was taking for low testosterone levels made him do it. Chauncey M. Depew, who does criminal and traffic defense work, told the court that a testosterone medication he had been taking had made him aggressive, excitable, nervous, agitated and depressed. Depew also said that he didn't view his behavior as wrong because he was friends with most of the women he was accused of harassing and was only joking around. Neither excuse seemed to carry much weight with the Supreme Court of Kansas, which issued a one-year suspension to Depew Aug. 6, according to a report on Kansas City TV station WDAF. The court also ordered Depew to obtain psychological treatment for his depression and write letters of apology to the assistants and the judges for whom they work. However, one dissenting judge questioned whether the punishment was too light, considering that Depew himself admitted at times he knew he had crossed the line. Depew, who also served occasionally as a municipal court judge, was accused of leaving a note on one woman's desk saying he wanted to lick her butt. He asked another woman to expose her breasts. He sent a picture of his genitals in a text message to a third woman.

          I.F.F.O.C. is curious of what Kansas Barr Association, or Kansas Law School is now educating there students on, due to these types of behavior for someone trained in the law, in which lawyers should be held to a heightened standard, due to their training in these types of legal areas and should know better, or are they just a good old boy system trained to circumvent what the average American already knows.

          I.F.F.O.C. wants to know why is it our judicial system that always advises us that ignorance is no excuse for the violations of the law, but it doesn't apply to one of there own. This makes you reconsider the option that they consider themselves above the law, in which now raises the question, are they a individual class and equality and justice does not apply on their specific level. This raises some serious concerns with I.F.F.O.C. that these individuals can get a slap on the wrist, whereas you or I if charged would get some serious time and labeled as a sex offender. I.F.F.O.C. has stated that only attorneys, who are labeled as “Doctors of Deception” can find a way out of criminal prosecution for such heinous crimes committed.