LOS ANGELES — The State Bar Court of California recently placed Peter Josserand XIII, a Paso Robles attorney, on a one-year probation after the attorney was convicted of sexual battery.
The decision was handed down on March 31, and it stems from a May 2004 incident in which the operations manager for the cleaning company that maintained Josserand’s office performed a surprise inspection. The operations manager, referred to as Victim No. 1 in court documents, was allegedly led to a bathroom by the attorney for the inspections.
While in the bathroom, it was reported that Josserand grabbed the woman’s breast. She immediately removed his hand, left the building and reported the assault to police.
During the investigation, the police uncovered a similar incident in October 2002 in which a woman referred to as Victim No. 2 had reported to the Paso Robles Police Department that Josserand had grabbed her breast. Victim No. 2 did not press charges, so the matter was not pursued. When officers contacted Victim No. 2 about Victim No. 1’s assault, she agreed to give a video interview but later backed out.
The attorney eventually confessed to assaulting both women.
When the California State Bar learned of the conviction, it took several factors into account, including letters attesting to the attorney’s “extraordinarily good character” and reviewed evidence that Josserand was “under extreme emotional difficulties” during the two-year period between assaults. Due to the evidence provided, Josserand will only serve one year of probation.
Josserand, who specialized in real estate, was admitted to the California State Bar in 1990. He had no prior record of discipline.