Retired judge Yitzhak Cohen is found guilty of sexual harassment, despite a plea deal that would have seen him avoid a criminal conviction.
Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court Judge Einat Ron notes that ignoring a plea deal is an “exceptional measure,” but says “the public interest does not allow the process to be completed without the defendant being convicted.”
Former Nazareth District Court President Yitzhak Cohen arrives at the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court for a hearing regarding allegations of sexual harassment, May 8, 2017. (Flash90)
She agrees to the rest of the terms of the plea, whereby Cohen’s punishment will be hours of community service and a fine of NIS 2,500 ($700).
According to the indictment, the complainant, a court employee who worked as a personal assistant to the judge, stated that when she came to bring a document to Cohen, he sat her on his knee and put his hand under her shirt and touching her back. When she stood up he also stood up and hugged her.
In a March hearing, Cohen told the court he deeply regretted the incident, and that it was “a momentary lapse which undid his entire world.”
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