Birmingham Defense Attorney Jailed For Contempt Following Tuscaloosa Rape Trial

TUSCALOOSA, AL — A Birmingham defense attorney has been found in contempt of court in Tuscaloosa County and ordered to serve a brief jail sentence following multiple instances of tardiness during recent court proceedings.

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Court documents obtained by Patch, along with Tuscaloosa County Jail records, show Jaimee Elizabeth Hunter was held in contempt by Circuit Court Judge Allen W. May Jr. after he determined her conduct disrupted judicial proceedings last week during the rape and sodomy trial of her client, Christopher Derrick Walker.

Walker was ultimately found not guilty on three charges and a mistrial was declared due to a deadlocked jury on the charge of first-degree rape as it relates to consent.

Records show the contempt citation ultimately stemmed from three separate incidents in March and April, during which Hunter allegedly arrived late to scheduled hearings and trial proceedings.

The first, on March 16, saw Hunter appear more than an hour late for a Daubert hearing — a pretrial proceeding where a judge determines the admissibility of expert witness testimony.

Then on March 23, Hunter arrived approximately 45 minutes late to a court call docket, delaying the court’s ability to address her two clients’ cases.

The third and most recent incident occurred on April 2, when Hunter arrived 10 minutes late to Walker's jury trial in Judge May's courtroom. The court noted jurors and other participants were waiting on her arrival.

Tuscaloosa Patch was also in the courtroom when Hunter was admonished last week by Judge May, who was visibly angry when he alluded to possibly holding the Birmingham defense attorney in contempt of court for showing up late.

Following a show-cause hearing on Friday, the court found Hunter in contempt on two of the three cited incidents and issued a confinement order requiring her to report to the Tuscaloosa County Jail at 2 p.m..

According to the confinement order, Hunter was scheduled to be released at 2 p.m. on Monday, April 13.

Hunter, who practices out of Birmingham, filed an emergency motion asking the court to reconsider or suspend the sentence, arguing that her tardiness was not willful and citing circumstances including co-counsel arrangements and difficulty finding parking near the courthouse.

In her filing, Hunter stated she believed a co-counsel was responsible for handling the aforementioned Daubert hearing and said she was near the courthouse prior to the April 2 proceeding but was delayed due to parking constraints.

Hunter also requested alternative sanctions, including a suspended sentence or monetary fine.

Court records indicate Hunter also filed a notice of appeal the same day as the contempt ruling, seeking review by the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals.

She remains in the Tuscaloosa County Jail as of the publication of this story.

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