Charles David Lawson
A Chattanooga attorney who was charged for the second time with sexually harassing a waitress has pleaded guilty in General Sessions Court to a reduced charge.
In the latest case, Charles D. Lawson had been charged with aggravated sexual battery after an incident at a local restaurant involving a waitress.
Prosecutor Jason Demastus said Lawson pleaded guilty to the B misdemeanor of offensive touching.
He will be on probation for six months and undergo alcohol monitoring and evaluation. He will have to undergo counseling if so determined by the evaluator.
Prosecutor Demastus said Lawson also will have to serve 25 days of community service at eight hours per day at a local registered charity.
He is to have no contact with the waitress in the latest incident.
Lawson, of Alta Vista Drive, was in the news in 2009 when he was sued by another waitress who said he sexually harassed her.
In the new case, police said they were notified last July 31 to see a waitress at Il Primo about a sexual battery incident.
She said the incident occurred around 10:40 p.m. on July 24 at the restaurant on Hixson Pike. She said she was finishing her shift and was standing near the bar to cash out her totals, and Lawson made advances on her while sitting at the bar. She said he made comments about how pretty she was and how pretty her eyes were.
She said she told him, she was "not a girl, but a woman, and was married." She said he continued his comments and she told him to pay attention to his two friends.
She said the comments continued and he began speaking about her buttocks and breasts. She said she tried to leave the area, but he grabbed her left breast with his left hand and placed his right hand between her legs and touched her private area through her jeans. She said she pulled away immediately and told the manager on duty. The manager went to remove the suspect, but found him leaving the restaurant.
The waitress said Lawson had been drinking that night.
She said the next day she had bruising on her left breast from the incident and took a photo of the discoloration.
The complaint says the bartender knew Lawson from previous encounters and that is how they were able to find his name.
The waitress said she was in fear of retaliation from Lawson "due to his profession and having a history of doing such acts to waitresses."
In the 2009 lawsuit, Ashley Burgess, an employee at Big River Grille said Lawson told her how "beautiful" she was, then he slammed her against a brick wall, grabbed her by the hair and proceeded to fondle her and rub against her private area. He denied the charges.