Hide Article Text (OCR)
Lawyer pleads to lesser charge in sex case; gets jail sentenceThe Associated PressPENSACOLA — A lawyer accused of raping a teen-age girl during a party will begin serving an 11-month jail sentence Monday after pleading no contest to a lesser charge of simple battery.The deal between prosecutors and defendant Drew McGraw, originally charged with sexual battery, received approval Tuesday from Circuit Judge Kenneth Williams. It was offered following a hung jury in his initial trial last month.“It’s not enough time for what damage has been done,” said the mother of the16-year-old victim. “But it would have been a lot of stress to go through the trial again. The plea bargain was a chance to get on with our lives.”When McGraw took the witness stand he admitted kissing and hugging the girl but insisted he stopped short of sexual intercourse.Williams also fined McGraw $1,000, ordered him to apologize to the victim, stay away from her and pay her $2,500 forcounseling expenses. He also found the lawyer guilty, meaning he will have a criminal record.The girl testified that McGraw had sex with her on his bed, where she had collapsed after becoming ill from drinking on July 23 at the lawyer’s Pensacola condominium.McGraw could have gotten up to 15 years if convicted of the single sexual battery charge, a second-degree felony,he had originally face. The maximum for simple battery, a first-degree misdemeanor, is a year in jail.An Birmingham, Ala., physician also is charged with twice raping a 15-year-old girl at the same party.Dr. Chris Endfinger, 29, is scheduled for trial March 3 on two counts each of sexual battery, committing a lewd and lascivious act on a child under 16 and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He could face a maximum of 62 years in prison if convicted on all counts.McGraw declined comment, but his attorney said he would have taken a substantial risk by going on trial again because a felony conviction would have brought automatic disbarment.“We’re satisfied with the plea,” said defense lawyer Leo Thomas. “But if it was anybody but a lawyer we’d be trying the case.”A Florida Bar spokeswoman said McGraw remained in good standing but declined to say whether he was under investigation.Clt;s
Newspaper Details
Panama City News Herald
Panama City, Florida, US
Thu, Feb 13, 1997
Page 23
Full Page
Clipped by
Janey M.
NA, 30 Sep 2023
Other Publications Near Panama City, Florida
Panama City Pilot
Panama City News Herald Sunday
Panama City News Herald
Panama News Herald
Panama City News
