LGBTQ rights lawyer faces federal indictment for testimony in ‘judge shopping’ probe

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LGBTQ rights lawyer faces federal indictment for testimony in ‘decide procuring’ probe

By Debra Cassens Weiss

September 11, 2025, 12:15 pm CDT

A lawyer working for an advocacy group for the LGBTQ+ neighborhood is dealing with a federal indictment alleging that he made false statements whereas testifying in an inquiry into “decide procuring.”

Lambda Authorized lawyer Carl S. Charles was charged with making a false assertion earlier than a courtroom in an indictment unsealed Monday, report Regulation Dork, Reuters, Law360, Regulation.com and the Alabama Political Reporter.

Charles has pleaded not responsible.

U.S. District Choose Liles C. Burke of the Northern District of Alabama had referred Charles to federal prosecutors for doable investigation, accusing the lawyer in a Feb. 25 order of “repeated, intentional, bad-faith misrepresentations of key info” throughout an inquiry into decide procuring by a three-judge panel.

Charles was amongst three attorneys reprimanded by Burke in reference to an effort to get their circumstances difficult an Alabama transgender regulation assigned to a decide deemed to be extra hospitable to their arguments. Burke, an appointee of President Donald Trump throughout his first time period, additionally imposed a $5,000 sanction on Charles.

Burke alleged that Charles lied below oath a few name to the chambers of a desired decide. Charles had sought to get his case assigned to the decide, an appointee of former President Jimmy Carter, by marking it as associated to a earlier case during which the decide dominated for transgender plaintiffs in a problem to Alabama’s coverage concerning intercourse adjustments on driver’s licenses, Burke stated within the order.

The indictment alleges that Burke denied making telephone calls to the decide’s chambers. After he was requested about his telephone quantity, Charles stated he wished to amend his testimony and stated he did name the decide’s clerk.

Lambda Authorized has launched an announcement in assist of Charles.

“This unjustified federal indictment is an outrageous act of governmental overreach,” the Sept. 9 assertion stated. “For greater than three years, our colleague, Carl Charles, has been subjected to unprecedented and abusive judicial proceedings, smearing his character and undermining his function in preventing for a number of the most susceptible individuals in society. We basically disagree with the characterization of the occasions that underpin this indictment, which ignores the truth that the routine telephone name at concern was acknowledged by the courtroom to be fully authorized and correct.

“We unequivocally stand behind Carl and all of our attorneys, who adhere to the very best moral {and professional} requirements on daily basis in pursuit of our mission to advance and defend the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals.”

See additionally:

‘Choose procuring’ in federal courts ought to finish, Home urges

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