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Yesterday, a federal jury in Manhattan convicted former K&L Gates partner Willie Dennis of three charges of cyberstalking. Dennis was accused of sending thousands of threatening emails and text messages to partners at his former firm between the years of 2018 and 2020.
The campaign of problematic communications began after Dennis was fired from the firm. As reported by Law360, that’s when the deluge of messages began:
During opening statements last week, prosecutors told the jury that after he was fired from K&L Gates, Dennis “flooded” three former colleagues with messages containing degrading names, violent imagery and threats against their families and careers.
Dennis’ messages included warnings like “I will find you” and “sleep with one eye open,” according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Simon.
“They thought the defendant might come to their home or office and that he might even hurt them,” Simon told the jury.
Simon said Dennis’ harassment upended his former colleagues’ lives, causing one to move to a different state and another to sleep with a loaded gun under his pillow.
Dennis contended that the messages were “justified” because he was complaining about sexual harassment, racial discrimination, and management at the firm. Dennis has sued the firm over these allegations, and the case is stayed pending arbitration.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said of the conviction, “Dennis terrified his former colleagues to the point they had serious concerns for their own safety. Today, a unanimous jury has made sure that Dennis is accountable for his yearslong harassment of his former law partners.”
During the course of the case Dennis, who represented himself during the week long trial, also came under fire from presiding judge Jed Rakoff:
Dennis, a longtime member of K&L Gates’ corporate practice, gave an at-times erratic opening statement that prompted numerous objections from the government. Judge Rakoff rebuked the attorney for bringing up off-limits topics like his interactions with police officers and seemingly unrelated current events, such as the war in Ukraine.
“Please confine yourself to the issues in this case,” the judge told Dennis.
Judge Rakoff’s frustration appeared to mount before the trial began Tuesday when Dennis arrived a half-hour late for jury selection. The judge also chastised the defendant for continuing a long pattern of sending improper emails to the court.
“If I receive from any party in this case any email, I will consider holding that party in contempt of court,” said Judge Rakoff, to whom the case was transferred two months ago. “You are a serial violator of the one and only rule that I’ve stressed.”
Dennis faces up to five years in prison for each count of cyberstalking.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).
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