On Saturday, January 18, 2025, KSDK reported that the license of Jefferson County Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Hollingsworth was indefinitely suspended following an incident involving a prank email. The Supreme Court of Missouri imposed the suspension, which also included a $1,000 fine, due to Hollingsworth’s misuse of a public defender’s laptop.

The incident occurred on June 9, 2023, at the Jefferson County Courthouse, where attorneys often utilize the jury room for various tasks due to the limited space in the courtroom. While a public defender’s computer was left unattended, Hollingsworth took the opportunity to send a humorous email to the Jefferson County Sheriff, which read, “you look sooooo good in Khaki pants and that black shirt,” signing it with the public defender’s name.

Hollingsworth did not inform either the Sheriff or the public defender about his actions. Instead, he disclosed the prank to another attorney, who later advised the public defender to check his email. The incident prompted the public defender to alert clients regarding potential breaches of confidentiality, resulting in 19 motions to disqualify Hollingsworth from prosecuting ongoing cases.

Initially, the Prosecutor’s Office issued Hollingsworth a written warning and placed him on a six-month improvement plan. However, the prank led to a disciplinary hearing, where it was revealed that Hollingsworth had a history of inappropriate humor and jokes, including sexual innuendos, during work hours. While he acknowledged some violations of conduct, Hollingsworth argued that he was not acting in his official capacity as a prosecutor when he sent the email and believed his actions did not disrupt the justice system.

The hearing panel concluded that Hollingsworth’s actions did not interfere with the administration of justice and did not constitute violations of professional conduct related to sexual harassment. Despite this, the chief disciplinary counsel rejected the panel’s recommendation for a simple reprimand and instead sought a suspension from the Supreme Court.

Hollingsworth will be eligible to apply for reinstatement in July.

 

 

Source: KSDK