Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Batiste Alleges Discrimination, Sexual Harassment Against Former Presiding Judge J. Scott Vowell


Dorothea Batiste
The former chief judicial officer of Jefferson County faces allegations of discrimination and sexual harassment connected to the suspension last month of a black, female judge.

J. Scott Vowell retired in January as presiding judge. But Circuit Judge Dorothea Batiste says that, before leaving office, Vowell launched a harassment campaign against her that included unwanted sexual advances. Batiste also alleges in a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that Vowell referred to her as "the colored Republican."

The Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission (JIC) suspended Batiste with pay amid allegations that she had abused her contempt powers. Batiste says in an affidavit supporting her EEOC complaint that Vowell led the campaign against her in retaliation for spurning his sexual advances.

Batiste was elected in November 2010 to a judgeship in the domestic-relations division, and she quickly experienced peculiar behavior from the presiding judge. From the Batiste affidavit:

By April 2011, Judge Vowell had become very flirtatious toward me. Although there are 38 judges total in the Jefferson County Circuit Court system, Scott Vowell started making it a practice to come see me at least once a week in my office. When he came in, the door would close behind him. 
At first, Judge Vowell engaged in small talk, such as, "How are you doing, etc.," and sometimes would give me a hug. One day however in April 2011, Judge Vowell came up to me. placed his body directly in front of me, and then put his arms down by my waist, with his fingers just above my buttocks area, and with his mouth near my ear, whispered, "Boy, you're a hot little thing, and you're looking good in that dress today." However, I brushed him off and stood there in shock. Judge Vowell left the room, without saying anything more."

Batiste discovered that, throughout 2012 and well into 2013, Vowell encouraged attorneys and litigants to file JIC complaints against her.:

Word had circulated in the divorce case industry around Jefferson County that, if one was unhappy with my ruling, all he or she had to do was go see Judge Vowell, and he would help the unhappy litigant file a complaint against me.

Scott Vowell
This behavior grew in part, Batiste says, from racial and political animus. She is black, and Vowell is white; she is a Republican, and he is a Democrat. From the affidavit:

In May or June 2012, it got back to me that Scott Vowell was derisively referring to me as "the colored Republican." Several people told me this when they called to express their support. They were quoting Judge Vowell.

Batiste soon found herself the target of numerous JIC complaints. Vowell, Batiste says, has long-standing ties to the JIC and the Alabama Court of the Judiciary:

It became painfully obvious to me that this burst of complaints . . . were so encouraged or inspired by Judge Vowell that it clearly reflected his efforts to retaliate against me for not caving in to his demands and sexual overtures months earlier. Scott Vowell is a very clever and intelligent man, and thus attempted to cleverly disguise his retaliation by making it look like the complaint really came from another attorney or litigant. While I do not object to my judicial conduct being scrutinized by the [JIC] or the general public, I greatly object . . . to how much Judge Vowell did to stimulate these complaints, especially for what I believe was unlawful retaliation, based on my rejecting his sexual advances.




45 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is incredible that you have taken the reins of journalism and proven the biggest rags in US, don't stand a chance in the future.

Your reporting and your blog, Legal Schnauzer, is the true American Spirit that is to never be snuffed.

The people of 'color' are called in actuality in America, 'breeds'.

I'm one, supposedly. Most are.

There are few lineages in the USA that have not had blood mixed in one way or another.

In fact, to think that on a finite round planet that we are not all, in one way or another, related by blood is to think truly dumb.

Genes can be asleep and then one day, awake the past does.

I would believe she is telling the truth about the Cracker that can't keep its wacker in its pants.

Anonymous said...

I find it interesting that Judge Batiste refers to family/divorce court as "the divorce case industry."

Redeye said...

Batiste is a "colored republican"? That was her first mistake.

Redeye said...

Scott Vowel is a democrat? The plot thickens.

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR8r7_Lk0oQ

Anonymous said...

Vowell foe foul smells stinky
under the bleachers, tip toe Scott tissue
swiping Seymour butts’ A$$ wipes

Robed Roaches hide unsanitized filth
scuttling disagreeable, consonant an adjective describing a
thing or things like "agreeable"

nation's treaties can be
consonants of music sounds pleasing not dissonant
horrifying-harsh-harassment-horror Robed Roaches

Porn Pom

You’re an unpredictable LS, that is what true higher intellect claims

Anonymous said...

Wait a minute! I thought Vowell was a homosexual?

Anonymous said...

@7:21, I also was intrigued by her use of the term "divorce case industry." What an interesting way to put it. It raises images of husbands/wives, mothers/fathers, and sons/daughters being chewed up in a large "manufacturing facility" and spit out the other end, damaged for life--while rich folks in the front office (lawyers) walk away with cash.

legalschnauzer said...

More thought-provoking verse, PP. Especially like this line:


"Robed Roaches hide unsanitized filth"

Anonymous said...

So Scott Vowell is a horn dog and a racist. Who knew?

Anonymous said...

LS, didn't you write a post about Vowell being a homosexual?

Anonymous said...

@9:49, I also have heard the Scott Vowell queer rumors. I think there is some sort of ball that he is known to attend with his male friend. I also hear that his wife, Cameron Vowell, is quite the butch. Perhaps Scott is bi or perhaps he was trying to use a recorder of some sort to get compromising evidence against Batiste, with plans to blackmail her off the bench.

Anonymous said...

Did you notice Judge Sib was mentioned in #21 and your blog was cited as Exhibit 6? Now Bonnie Wyatt needs to do a full court press - strike while the iron is hot, if you will.

Anonymous said...

You have to love corrupt thugs turning on each other! Imagine the dirt that will surface. Although, who would believe either one of them? Both are full of sh!+

Anonymous said...

Anon @10:06

She better do it in a hurry. It's common knowledge around Chilton County that documents have a tendency to disappear from the courthouse. One of the judges in this circuit had a kid arrested and all documents pertaining to the arrest disappeared.

legalschnauzer said...

Anon at 10:01--

I've never written a post about Scott Vowell being homosexual. I think we may have had a comment to that effect on one of my posts.

legalschnauzer said...

Anon at 10:06--

You are wise and alert to note the importance of Sibley Reynolds in this story. He not only is part of the journalism, he is part of the court documents, as filed by Judge Batiste and her attorney. So, yes, this now has a strong association with the Bonnie Wyatt case.

legalschnauzer said...

Anon at 10:01--

@10:05 came up with this idea, and I suspect that it is a distinct possibility:


"Perhaps Scott is bi or perhaps he was trying to use a recorder of some sort to get compromising evidence against Batiste, with plans to blackmail her off the bench."

jeffrey spruill said...

"Boy, you're a hot little thing, and you're looking good in that dress today."

Hee-Hee-Hee-Hee!!!

I love it when criminals are turning on one another.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps blackmail was the reason Scott Vowell made all of the trips to Batiste's office, with the office door closed behind him. I bet he was wearing a recorder of some sort. And when blackmail failed, he turned to his friends at the JIC.

Anonymous said...

That phrase--"The colored Republican"--takes me back to, oh, 1949. Thanks for the trip back in time, Scott Vowell.

TLR said...

LS, this might turn into one of your all-time great storylines. It's got everything--racism, sexism, corruption . . .

Anonymous said...

Welcome to the world of Alabama hunting clubs, Judge Batiste. You stepped into a thicket where your presence was not welcome.

Anonymous said...

Scott Vowell built his power base, to a great extent, by catering to the whims of powerful divorce lawyers--Fernambucq, Steve Arnold, Steve Wright, Judy Crittenden. They gave him power, and he helped make them rich--while families suffered. Scott Vowell and his buddies are pure, molten evil.

Anonymous said...

LS, this certainly has strong associations with the Bonnie Wyatt story. It also is connected to the Sherry Carroll Rollins story. The same hunting club crowd that controls Jefferson Co divorce courts seeps into Shelby Co. Scott Vowell didn't stay in power all of those years without support from big corporate firms like Bradley Arant. And you can rest assured that Bradley Arant ramrodded the cheating of Sherry Rollins. Scott Vowell helped create a corrupt system that made the Rollins case possible.

Anonymous said...

Batiste did a gooD job of drawing attention away from her own discretion by drawing attention to Reynolds etc. However, that does not negate her corrupt behavior! Sounds like there is plenty of her own! She almost appears to be trying to justify her own by that of others like Reynolds! How Obamaesque of her! Maybe this is her way of saying,"I'll bring down the house of scum cards!" Lest she forget, she's still scum! An outsider attempting to play the same game as the good ole boys need mind her own back yard and make sure she has the tools and room to do so. She obviously doesn't but I say bring it down anyway!

Anonymous said...

One change is:

horrifying-harsh-harassment-

Robed Terrorist Roaches

Porn Pom /xo / Thanks for the compliments LS, yours' and Mrs. Legal Schnauzer with your beautiful cats and absolutely wonderful Murphy, my inspiration to keep living.

Anonymous said...

Dorothea Batiste was threatening the revenue streams for hunting-club lawyers. That's why she is on suspension. They are trying to teach her to be a "good girl."

Anonymous said...

Methinks Scott Vowell is a Dixiecrat more than a Democrat.

Anonymous said...

Divorce cases are "easy money" for law firms that handle such cases. And many lawyers from corporate firms rely on their divorce-firm colleagues to obtain favorable results when they get caught cheating on their wives. Tons of lawyers from Bradley Arant, Haskell Slaughter, Balch Bingham etc. use the services of hunting-club lawyers. Judge Batiste stepped into the heart of Alabama court corruption. Divorce lawyers and corporate lawyers, with Scott Vowell's "leadership," have built this corrupt game--and as an outsider, she is seen as a threat.

Anonymous said...

Any chance the MSM touches this story?

Anonymous said...

2 Corinthians 5:10

Divorce is a billion dollar industry. Many lawyers and Judges prosper on these low effort/high yield cases. All while families, especially children suffer because of these vermin. If you have (unfortunately) experienced this combination of greed, incompetence, arrogance and entitlement all too common in Alabama courtrooms, you know what I mean.

Who do you cheer for when 2 snakes are locked in combat??? Hopefully discovery will yield information that will help to clean up this cesspool.

Anonymous said...

Scott Vowell was caught performing sexual acts on a young man in the courthouse several years ago. Former Probate Judge Mike Bolin's judicial assistant caught them in this compromising position. Vowell was married, and is still married to Cameron McDonald Vowell, who was a known lesbian even in her days in high school.

legalschnauzer said...

Anon at 11:14--

That's interesting. Do you know the name of Bolin's assistant or if any incident reports were filed? I'm assuming it was hushed up.

Anonymous said...

Very few here seem to have any interest in actual facts. This is disappointing.

Anonymous said...

Anon @ 8:56, not quite sure what you mean by that but I found it funny considering the subject matter of the post i.e.; judges, rarely ever go by facts. I see more facts in this post than at any time in court where a judge will use much less to render bogus rulings. Thanks for the humor!

Anonymous said...

Being unfamiliar with this blog site, I am appalled by the level of trash and foolishness. Too bad that the rumor mongers cannot wait for the Republican judicial police to do their job. Obviously more fun to slander people.

Robby Scott Hill said...

Excellent observation that he could be bisexual. Many perverts who victimize women are, but deny it. It's all about the power. They also tend to engage in beastiality and sodomize young boys.

Robby Scott Hill said...

Amen!

Robby Scott Hill said...

Christians tolerate so much foolishness. These unspeakable acts do not exist in Islamic Courts. Sharia law will not allow it. You must purge the evil as you build your nation of Islam in Moorish America.

Robby Scott Hill said...

Being familiar with paid, anonymous trolls, I am shocked at the levels to which the Alabama State Bar will stoop to hijack the conversation & protect the public perception of its image.

Anonymous said...

@ 3:31

Please give examples of "trash and foolishness" you speak of?

Anonymous said...

Should you be surprised? I believe that they (and others threatened by the truth) post comments designed to marginalize this site.

Anonymous said...

3:31 you are either a dumbass or a judge or maybe both

Anonymous said...

Agree! I myself had a divorce case in judge Batiste's courtroom never seen such incompetence. If you ask me the judge and some of the lawyers are all in it together. The divorce cases appear fixed. She can not play the blame game and blame judge Vowell , anyone with a case in her courtroom know what I'm talking about. She abused her power. There is a 38 page complaint against her from litigants and an attorney that she had jailed and tried to deny her bond. Most of the litigants were females. This judge has issues, something else going on here, mentally. She definitely doesn't know the law, no experience, nor what she has jurisdiction over and what she does not. She's hurting our children.