Summary: A Yakima attorney has been acquitted of trying to rape a female employee at his law office.
A former prosecutor accused of rape was acquitted Wednesday in Yakima County, Washington. According to the Yakima Herald, the attorney was acquitted of second-degree attempted rape, but he could be retried for two other charges that the jury was unable to decide upon.
In July 2016, George Hansen, 38, was accused of sexually assaulting a female employee at his law firm. She had agreed to meet him under the pretense that they would discuss her move out of state. Once alone, Hansen allegedly forced her to stay in her chair as he fondled and kissed her. She told the police that he had threatened to rape her after locking the door.
The female employee said that she was able to escape after telling Hansen she needed to go to lunch. Once out of the office, she headed for the police station.
Hansen was charged with indecent liberties and unlawful imprisonment as well as attempted rape, but this week, a Yakima County Superior Court jury were deadlocked on whether or not the attorney was guilty or not guilty on the first two charges. According to the Yakima Herald, the twelve jury members deliberated for 6.5 hours before they disclosed to Superior Court Judge Candace Hopper that they could not reach a decision.
Judge Hopper presides in Kittitas County, and Hansen’s case was given to her because Yakima County judges recused themselves because of Hansen’s relationship in that county’s court system. She declared a hung jury on the indecent liberties and unlawful imprisonment charges and ordered the jury to announce Hansen’s acquittal of attempted rape.
When asked by the Yakima Herald, jurywoman Rosie Odman said that the prosecutors had failed to prove malicious intent. She did not share why the jurors had split on the other charges, but she said that she wanted to acquit Hansen of them because she did not buy the truthfulness of the alleged victim’s testimony.
A court date has been set for July 24 for Deputy Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney David Soukup to retry Hansen on the undecided charges.
Hansen, a former prosecutor, is now working as a criminal defense attorney at his office Hansen Law, PLLC. According to his company website, the sole practitioner earned his J.D. from St Thomas University School of Law in Miami, Florida and is licensed to practice in Washington state.
According to the Washington State Bar Association, Hansen’s law license is still active. The website did not list any disciplinary actions filed against him. However, local CBS news reported that in 2012, he was arrested for a DUI but pled not guilty. Two years prior, he had pled guilty to a charge of first-degree negligent driving.
Yakima Herald stated that Hansen could not be reached for comment.
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Source: Yakima Herald