Tulsa World: Judge suing his accusers for libel

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Judge suing his accusers for libel

SLANDER ALLEGED
Judge Jesse Harris: His lawsuit seeks actual damages of more than $10,000 as well as punitive damages from the two women named as defendants. The same women allege that Harris exposed himself to them in March outside a Tulsa motel.

By BILL BRAUN World Staff Writer
Published: 6/26/2008 2:18 AM
Last Modified: 6/26/2008 2:28 AM

Tulsa County District Judge Jesse Harris is suing two women who are the complaining witnesses in the two-count indecent exposure charge against the judge.

A civil suit filed Wednesday in Tulsa County District Court alleges that the women slandered and libeled Harris with the intent to destroy his judicial and legal career.

The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of actual damages — in excess of $10,000 — and punitive damages from the women.

A special prosecutor charged Harris on April 24 with exposing himself to the two women March 9 in the parking lot of a Tulsa motel.

One of the women, Kalisha Nolen, has been identified as Harris' ex-girlfriend. The other woman, identified as Nolen's friend, has been in the Tulsa Jail since April and has two unresolved felony DUI charges.

Both women are identified by name in the lawsuit, but the Tulsa World has a policy of not identifying alleged victims of sex crimes.

Nolen, also known by the first name of Kali, consented to her name being made public when she was interviewed previously by a World reporter.

The lawsuit alleges that the women "conspired to make false claims of criminal conduct" against Harris and "thereafter carried out the scheme."

The indecent exposure charges are "bogus" and "based on false evidence by witnesses who have zero credibility," the suit alleges.

The civil case was assigned by a random process to District Judge Mary Fitzgerald.

Tulsa County Presiding

District Judge Michael Gassett declined to comment about the possibility of requesting that an out-of-county judge preside in the case.

In March, the state Attorney General's Office appointed Washington County District Attorney Rick Esser to evaluate the accusations that resulted in the felony indecent exposure counts being filed.

Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris had requested that his office be excused from the case because of its working relationship with Judge Harris.

In May, state Supreme Court Chief Justice James Winchester assigned Osage County District Judge M. John Kane IV to handle proceedings in the criminal case.

Gassett had asked Winchester to assign a judge from outside the judicial district that includes Tulsa and Pawnee counties to that case.

Bill Braun 581-8455
bill.braun@tulsaworld.com By BILL BRAUN World Staff Writer

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	Report Comment CG, (6/26/2008 7:47:20 AM) I hope he gets them. They certainly aren't going to have $10,000 but at least he can make their life the hell they've done to him. I have a sneaking suspicion that Kalisha will be down in David L. Moss with her friend before too long.
	Report Comment wk, (6/26/2008 7:48:09 PM) I can't wait until they get him under oath and make him testify. He just waived his right against self-incrimination.
	Report Comment Mr. Brown, (6/27/2008 4:41:46 PM) I find it hard to imagine a woman being offended by a man showing her something that she's already seen(at least), to the extent that charges are filed. Whether he's guilty, or not, he got just what he should've expected out of dealing with those two motel parking lot crawlers.
	Report Comment Brute, (6/29/2008 7:09:47 AM) I don't often stand up for judges, but this man has been railroaded, IMO. The question remains as to who it is he actually p.o'd because it takes more than a couple of cheesy women to drag this man through what he's been through.

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