Attorney Theresa Olson said she wishes she were still defending accused criminals but now faces nasty comments, upsetting sexual offers and the need to disguise herself for a simple trip to the grocery store.
In emotional testimony at the Washington State Bar Association yesterday, the former public defender described a career and life turned upside down by an accusation that she had sex with a client, Sebastian Burns, who has since been convicted of three murders.
Olson said that after an August 2002 incident with Burns at the King County Jail -- which she adamantly denied was sex -- news media attention has been fierce.
I really feel badly for poor Ms. Olson. Details are here from The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. I'd posted about the case earlier here, and Bashman has links to lots of local coverage.
P.S. -- The rules barring attorneys from having sex with their clients have always irked me. I mean, why eliminate that fruitful avenue? Life is too short and brutish as it is. Back when I was just starting out and practicing at a large civil law firm, I really had the hots for one particular client: Reliance National Insurance Company. Sizzle, sizzle!!! And I still haven't stopped fantasizing about taking The Chase Manhatten Bank on my desk (while carelessly deleting annoying voicemails from firm partners). Oooh!