Prosecutor ‘poisoned the morale’ of DA’s office with fake harassment texts, disbarment order says

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Prosecutor ‘poisoned the morale’ of DA’s…

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Prosecutor ‘poisoned the morale’ of DA’s workplace with faux harassment texts, disbarment order says

By Debra Cassens Weiss

January 10, 2025, 9:32 am CST

A former prosecutor in Colorado needs to be disbarred for faking 4 texts that she attributed to a co-worker, together with one referring to her as a “intercourse doll,” in line with a Dec. 31 listening to board opinion.

Yujin Choi of Denver fabricated the texts in October 2022 to make it seem that the co-worker was harassing her after which “doubled down on that deceit” by deliberately altering proof, in line with the listening to board, which is a part of the Colorado Supreme Court docket’s Workplace of the Presiding Disciplinary Choose.

Choi allegedly doctored cellphone information and repeatedly deleted the texts. She claimed that her cellphone stopped working when she unintentionally dropped it within the bathtub and asserted that her laptop computer additionally broke when she unintentionally spilled water on it.

“In our view, this narrative is just not believable,” the opinion stated.

Choi “pursued a private vendetta” in opposition to the co-worker, felony investigator Dan Hines, “by launching a casual smear marketing campaign” for causes “that stay opaque to us,” the listening to board stated.

The New York Instances, Law360, the Denver Publish and Ars Technica (by way of the Authorized Career Weblog) have protection.

Choi, who was admitted to apply in Might 2019, can attraction the choice. She was a deputy district legal professional within the Denver district legal professional’s household violence unit earlier than she was fired for the alleged misconduct.

Choi despatched the 4 texts to herself, altering the title in her cellphone to make it seem the co-worker was the sender, the listening to board concluded. It was the second time that she had accused Hines.

The primary time, in 2021, Choi claimed that Hines had made an inappropriate comment in June 2021, and that he later despatched a textual content that she thought of to be harassing. An investigation was closed as unsubstantiated. Hines was nonetheless transferred throughout the workplace and advised to keep away from contact with Choi.

The texts at subject within the ethics opinion surfaced in October 2022. Choi was at a bar with pals when she confirmed them a textual content. It learn: “Yujin, please cease speaking about what I didn’t do to our colleagues. You might be utilizing your seems to be in opposition to harmless individuals. If you wish to act like a intercourse doll to get a sugar daddy … effective, however that won’t be me.”

Choi claimed that there have been three extra texts, all from Hines. They learn, “Don’t be silly,” “Let’s speak,” and “I’m sorry, hope you could have a pleasant weekend.”

By disseminating the texts to co-workers and supervisors, Choi “perpetrated a false and dangerous narrative that Hines had sexually harassed her by sending her these messages,” the opinion stated.

Choi stated she didn’t need the matter investigated, however her supervisors felt an obligation to take action and required cooperation. When Hines was confronted with the texts, he logged in to his Verizon account to offer cellphone information and supplied his iPhone for investigation. There was no indication that Hines despatched the texts, the listening to board stated.

Official information obtained straight from Verizon indicated that Choi despatched and obtained the fourth textual content message within the Hines textual content thread on the time that she claimed to have obtained it, main the listening to board to conclude that she additionally despatched the primary three messages. The primary textual content displayed a time stamp indicating that it was despatched greater than 40 minutes after Choi texted a supervisor about it.

The injury included hurt to Hines’ fame and betrayal of comrades who advocated for her throughout the investigation, the choice stated.

Choi “poisoned the morale of the DA’s workplace, contributing to an surroundings during which victims feared they is perhaps disbelieved and others feared they is perhaps wrongly accused,” the listening to board stated. “Additional, her actions referred to as into query whether or not the proof within the felony instances she prosecuted was real,” tarnished the fame of prosecutors, and doubtlessly undermined the credibility of sexual harassment victims.

A counselor had recognized Choi with post-traumatic stress dysfunction and vicarious trauma attributable to Choi’s emotionally taxing work within the household violence unit. Her legal professionals didn’t instantly reply to ABA Journal emails searching for remark.

Hines advised the Denver Publish that he “wouldn’t want this upon anyone,” and he was “dwelling in hell” after Choi’s first accusation. He has sued the Denver district legal professional over the dealing with of the investigation.

The district legal professional’s workplace later decided that Choi’s casework was in “wonderful order” with no proof of fabrication, a spokesperson advised the New York Instances. The workplace additionally thinks that the investigation was correctly dealt with, the spokesperson stated.