Alabama lawyer accused of sexually assaulting handcuffed inmate, lawsuit says

An Alabama lawyer and former state senator has been accused of groping and sexually assaulting an incarcerated woman and trying to coerce her into being his “sex slave,” according to a lawsuit filed on Tuesday.

The lawsuit accuses Douglass “Doug” Ghee of sexual assault, battery, extortion, intentional inflicting of emotional distress, false imprisonment and wantonness. Ghee's law firm, Ghee, Draper and Alexander, is also named in the complaint.

The lawsuit said that Ghee, 78, met with a 29-year-old woman in July as a public defender while she was incarcerated at the Calhoun County Jail, in the eastern part of the state. During the meeting, Ghee allegedly promised to use his friendship with the judge and assistant district attorney on her case to help her get a better deal, as long as she agreed to be his “sex slave” and pay him $2,500.

The meeting took place in a room designated for attorneys to meet with clients, the suit said. The woman was handcuffed and shackled the whole time, and there was a live video feed for a corrections officer to monitor the situation.

After the initial meeting, Ghee sent $30 to the woman's jail account, the lawsuit said.

Five days later, Ghee and the woman had a second meeting in the same room, according to the lawsuit, and he is accused of groping and forcibly kissing her. A corrections officer intervened and removed the woman from the room, the lawsuit said.

People detained in Alabama jails cannot legally consent to sexual contact while incarcerated.

In July, after the alleged sexual assault, a Seventh Circuit presiding judge barred Ghee from representing any indigent clients in two districts in the eastern part of the state, AL.com reported. Four judges have also recused themselves from Ghee’s cases, including the judge presiding over the incarcerated woman’s bond hearing.

The woman's lawyers say she cannot initiate a criminal case against Ghee until she has a new judge assigned and can make bond.

“Further detainment just delays justice and extends the mental abuses in this case,” said the woman's lawyer, Anthony Coleman. “As a result of her detainment, she is unable to file a criminal complaint in this matter. We filed this suit to preserve her rights and prompt the state to move forward without further delay.”

Calhoun County Sheriff Matthew Wade confirmed with WBRC-TV that there is an ongoing investigation into the accusations.

Ghee is a well-known lawyer in the area and served as a state senator between 1990 and 1998. A representative at his law offices said he declined to offer comment when The Associated Press called Wednesday.

The AP does not generally identify people alleging sexual assault unless they consent to be named.

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Riddle reported from Montgomery. Riddle is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.