Last week, Timothy West was accused of breaking into the home of a 21-year-old Applebee's waitress, raping her at knife-point, and texting her later for a second date. West was caught on tape apologizing to the waitress and asking to see her again, and the details of that awkward, incriminating conversation have been plastered in local papers. So, naturally, the most appropriate outlet for West's lawyer's frustration at handling his questionable behavior would be to lash out at the judge in the case.
Public defender Mihea Kim accused Queens Supreme Court Justice Richard Buchter of being "unethical," enraging the Judge. She was held in contempt of court and fined $1,000, until all parties cooled down and she apologized. Kim has objected to the media presence in the case, including having reporters in the court; she asked for two mistrials based on "prejudiced" coverage where media reports have referred to her client as a "creep" and an "accused rapist." Buchter denied the request on First Amendment grounds. But was Kim trying to cause some waves and make a name for herself, or does she not think that the phrase "accused rapist" is precisely what her client is: a man on trial accused of rape?
