Attorney Misconduct, Law Professors, Law Schools, Sex, Sex Scandals

Judge Tells Sports Law Professor Charged With Indecent Exposure to Shut Up During Sentencing

How do you piss off a judge during a sentencing hearing? Ask Clark Calvin Griffith for help on that one...

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Back in March, we brought you a story about an elderly sports law professor who had engaged in some unsportsmanlike, penile conduct. At the time, a criminal complaint had been filed against Clark Calvin Griffith, a former adjunct law professor at the William Mitchell College of Law. Griffith was accused of unzipping his pants, exposing himself, and forcing a female law student to squeeze his penis. He took an Alford plea in June on indecent exposure charges.

Griffith’s case blew up again in the beginning of July when Lance Armstrong took to Twitter to criticize the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency by linking to an Above the Law story, revealing Griffith’s identity and his pervy predilections — Griffith was one of the formerly anonymous members of Armstrong’s Review Board.

And now, Griffith has made the news again, but this time for his interesting interpretation of the ways that he was “victimized” by the law student who pressed charges against him. Unfortunately for him, Griffith’s sentencing judge wasn’t buying it….

According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Griffith, the son of Calvin Griffith, former owner of the Minnesota Twins baseball team, laid out a ridiculous tale of woe during his sentencing hearing, complete with pretty damning statements that the former adjunct professor made to his probation officer that were read by the court:

She sat in the front row in his class, directly in his line of sight. She always dressed nicely. She lingered after class and sought his advice on career matters.

Those were among the statements former adjunct William Mitchell College of Law professor Clark Calvin Griffith, 70, gave to a probation officer, ostensibly describing how a 24-year-old student victimized him. Griffith was charged with indecent exposure after he unzipped his pants on a busy St. Paul street in front of the student, then kissed her.

You hear that, everyone? Apparently it’s quite easy to victimize a law professor these days. All you have to do is show up, dress nicely, and ask questions. If that’s the case, then a good number of our readers have probably victimized a professor or two in their day.

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Judge George Stephenson read a presentencing report prepared by Griffith’s probation officer during the hearing, noting that “[t]he defendant stated that he was the victim of a sexual assault and described this experience as very traumatizing.” It was so traumatizing, in fact, that Griffith told his probation officer that he believed that all “women want sexual power over men.”

Recall that when this story first broke, Griffith claimed that he was the one to unzip his pants, but that he was in an “absolute daze” when he did so. This time around, when Griffith began to relay his side of the story, he alleged that the law student involved was the one who tried to seduce him:

Stephenson scoffed at that account.

“Are you kidding me?” the judge said. “Come on, Mr. Griffith.”

When Griffith tried to interrupt, Stephenson said, “Don’t say another word, because you’re just pissing me off.”

You know that your story hasn’t gone over so well when the sentencing judge has told you to shut up, and has stated on the record that your testimony was pissing him off.

As much as Judge Stephenson would have liked to hand out a sentence as stiff as the professorial penis this law student was forced to touch, according to the terms of a plea agreement, the good judge stayed Griffith’s sentence for one year, and if Griffith follows the terms of his probation (including sex offender treatment), the charge will be dismissed.

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Griffith also received a $500 fine, and was ordered to stay away from the real victim — the law student. Luckily, she won’t have to see Griffith’s foul balls ever again.

Ex-law professor, 70, sentenced for indecent exposure; claims student, 24, victimized him
[St. Paul Pioneer Press]

Earlier: Elderly Sports Law Professor Accused of Unsportsmanlike, Penile Conduct

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