Canada -   

1
Lori Douglas is named in Alexander Chapman's lawsuit. (photo courtesy Winnipeg Sun)

Man must return photos of Manitoba judge

Viewer

CTV News Video

CTV National News: Caroline Barghout on the judge
A Manitoba judge has stepped down from the bench and is now under review after sexually explicit photos of her were posted online. The raunchy pictures were supposed to be destroyed in 2003, but now they are at the centre of a sex scandal.

A A |  Email ThisEmail  | Print Facebook   

Lori Douglas is named in Alexander Chapman's lawsuit. (photo courtesy Winnipeg Sun)

Photos

Lori Douglas is named in Alexander Chapman's lawsuit. (photo courtesy Winnipeg Sun)

View Larger Image

Date: Fri. Sep. 3 2010 6:47 AM ET

WINNIPEG — Two days after shocking Manitoba's legal world with claims that he was pressured to have kinky sex with a lawyer-turned-judge, Alexander Chapman was hit with a court order forcing him to return explicit photographs of the jurist.

Chapman also found himself on the receiving end of a counter-lawsuit, alleging he violated privacy laws and a confidential settlement agreement when he went public with his claims.

"Right now, I am under a lot of psychological stress," Chapman told a court hearing Thursday, acting as his own lawyer. "I will seek counsel because there are some very important points ... with respect to the public's interest in this matter."

The matter is the sex scandal surrounding Lori Douglas, an associate chief justice with Manitoba's Court of Queen Bench. Chapman claims that in 2003, when Douglas was still a lawyer, Douglas's husband and fellow lawyer Jack King tried to press him into having sex with Douglas.

Chapman, who is black, is suing the couple and their former law firm, claiming King showed him pictures of Douglas in bondage from a website dedicated to interracial sex.

"Mr. King continuously attempted to have Mr. Chapman view the most explicit, disgusting, obscene, offensive, pornographic photos of Ms. Douglas on a website and even suggested that Mr. Chapman commit ... heinous sex acts with her," reads Chapman's statement of claim.

The couple "also had ads on the website which read 'make her a slut for total black domination'," the claim reads.

Chapman has also filed complaints with the Canadian Judicial Council and the Law Society of Manitoba. Douglas has stepped down from the bench while the investigation is underway, although she remains on the job performing administrative functions.

King's lawyer, Bill Gange, has said King distributed and posted the photos without Douglas's knowledge. His client was suffering from depression and "made mistakes," Gange said.

The matter was supposedly settled in 2003, when King paid Chapman $25,000 in exchange for the return of all the photographs and an agreement to never discuss what happened, Gange told the court.

But photos ended up making headlines this week, leading to Thursday's hearing.

"Mr. Chapman continues, in a brazen fashion, to flout the terms of the settlement agreement," Gange said. "Mr. Chapman has proven himself to be a liar."

In the countersuit against Chapman filed Thursday, King alleges "the defendant has disclosed and discussed the terms of the settlement agreement" and "used personal documents of the plaintiff without the consent of the plaintiff."

None of the allegations in any of the actions have been proven in court and statements of defence have not been filed.

Chapman has admitted in media interviews to signing the confidentiality agreement, but says he came forward this year because he continues to feel victimized.

He also challenges King's assertion that Douglas did not know what was going on. In his statement of claim, Chapman said he had met Douglas at a restaurant and she touched him "in an inappropriate manner." She later asked whether he was going to come to the couple's house on the weekend, the claim contends.

As part of Thursday's court order, Chapman is required to retrieve any explicit photos he shared with media outlets and anyone else.

So far, there is no court order directly requiring reporters to surrender material, but Court of Queen's Bench Justice Joan McKelvey said that may be discussed at a later date.

King's lawyer is also asking the court to have Chapman's computer seized so that he cannot distribute any more material.

The court is expected to hear that argument next Thursday.

Share with your social Network:

Facebook DIGG Newsvine Delicious Twitter StumbeUpon Reddit Yahoo! Buzz

 

Advertisement

Contest

Today's Canada Stories

Edgar Sulla-Puma, 26, is seen in this undated image. Sulla-Puma was injured in the crash and remains in hospital.

Crash survivors eligible for health care coverage

More   9 Comments 9    12 Video(s) 12

The Manulife Financial offices are seen on Water Street in Kitchener, Ont. on Friday, June 17, 2011.

Manulife Financial books $69M loss in 4th quarter

More

Justice

ISPs are not broadcasters, Supreme Court rules

More