Is this grounds for a bar complaint?

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? oklahoma

I am a witness in a divorce case. Both parties in the divorce are lawyers. This is a highly contested divorce. While the deputy was out of the family court waiting room my brother-in-law (one of the parties in the divorce) got in my face and started screaming at me. Calling me a bitch among other things. This went on for what seemed like a long time before I had the sense to get my things and leave the room. It was very disturbing as you can imagine. While this was going on, his attorney was laughing like a lunatic, pacing back and forth saying over and over "this is some funny ****". This is the second time that man (my brother-in-laws attorney) has behaved like a lunatic towards me. The first time was during a previous incident in the waiting room. During that episode, he thought I called him a name. Somebody called him a name but it wasn't me. I just took the heat for it. He got in my face, started screaming, "what did you say" over and over. I just sat there stunned. He finally said, "i didn't think so" and stormed off.

I have multiple witness to both events and we are getting a subpeona for the release of the waiting room tapes.

Does this sound like something that is sanctionable or am I wasting my time filing a bar complaint?

Thanks

kbc1 said:

. . . am I wasting my time filing a bar complaint?

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Yes!

Anything else?

Wow, I didn't know that an attorney could harass a witness.

Thanks

kbc1 said:

Wow, I didn't know that an attorney could harass a witness.

Thanks

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He wasn't working in the capacity of an attorney. Being a jerk still isn't illegal.

I wasn't my brother-in-law I was referring to. It was his attorney. I am a witness against them. I know it isn't illegal but isn't there a code of conduct that his attorney should adhere to, per the bar? I am a petite woman, these were 2 large men. My brother-in-law was standing over me screaming and his attorney was pacing back and forth behind him, laughing hysterically and say repeatedly, "that is some funny ****". He made no effort to stop his client. On the contrary, he was encouraging him.

kbc1 said:

I wasn't my brother-in-law I was referring to. It was his attorney. I am a witness against them.

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It's still not illegal. He is not bound by the state bar to smile and dance for you. He can laugh all he wants. He can yell all he wants.

It was my brother-in-laws attorney that was screaming at me in the other situation. His was standing over me, screaming like a nut. I have only seen this man twice. And both times he was harassing me. I just can't imagine that this type of behavior is deemed appropriate.

kbc1 said:

It was my brother-in-laws attorney that was screaming at me in the other situation. His was standing over me, screaming like a nut. I have only seen this man twice. And both times he was harassing me. I just can't imagine that this type of behavior is deemed appropriate.

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Laughing at you, is not harassing you. Your feelings were hurt. Which is not protected by law.

Him getting in your face, did he touch you? How much fear did you have? Did you run out of the courtroom and report it to the bailiff? Do you have a copy of the report? Did you let the attorney know you felt harrassed?

What did your sister's attorney say about it? Why didn't he/she stop this behavior?

Why are you testifying in a divorce case where you have only been around your brother in law twice?

I think it is one of those "you had to be there situations". Multiple people in the waiting room approached our attorney and expressed their disbelief in what they saw. One of the witnesses is another attorney that was also in the waiting room with his client. It was like a couple of rapid dogs going at me.

FYI, my brother-in-law was mentally and physically abusive. He was arrested for beating up my sister in front of several people, including his children and other children. So, yes I was afraid.

My brother-in-law also has a drinking problem. His attorney was present when he signed an order stating he would not drink when his children were present. With the ink barely dry, this attorney takes my brother-in-law and his children to the lake. My BIL drinks his face off and totals a wave runner. Is that something the bar would be interested in?

cyjeff said:

What did your sister's attorney say about it? Why didn't he/she stop this behavior?

Why are you testifying in a divorce case where you have only been around your brother in law twice?

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The attorney was out of the room. I have only seen my BIL's attorney twice. Each time there has been an incident.

In the courtroom, he was laughing at you. In the other situation, he was reacting to what he believed you had initiated. Not sure why you believe an attorney cannot question a persons comment or laugh.

It was in the waiting room. The deputy was out of the room. He was not laughing at something I said. He was laughing at my BIL verbal attach on me. He thought what his client was doing was funny. So, he kept pacing around behind him laughing loudly and saying over and over this is some funny ****. Meaning the attack on me by my BIL was some funny ****. He was encouraging to keep it up, not trying to get him to stop.

kbc1 said:

It was in the waiting room. The deputy was out of the room. He was not laughing at something I said. He was laughing at my BIL verbal attach on me. He thought what his client was doing was funny. So, he kept pacing around behind him laughing loudly and saying over and over this is some funny ****. Meaning the attack on me by my BIL was some funny ****. He was encouraging to keep it up, not trying to get him to stop.

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He is not required by law to stop anything.

=kbc1;2697465]It was in the waiting room. The deputy was out of the room. He was not laughing at something I said. He was laughing at my BIL verbal attach on me. He thought what his client was doing was funny. So, he kept pacing around behind him laughing loudly and saying over and over this is some funny ****.

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do you laugh at things you think are funny? HE didn't do anything to you in the courtroom.

Meaning the attack on me by my BIL was some funny ****. He was encouraging to keep it up, not trying to get him to stop

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is he supposed to babysit his client? If your BIL did something illegal, you should have made a police report. Other than that, sounds like it's time to learn to not let jerks get to you. That is a psychological game in itself.