Probation for Lawyer Who Used Anti-Gay Slur to Describe Judge

A Colorado lawyer’s sanction for calling a judge an anti-gay slur in an email to his clients was upheld by the state’s highest court.

Robert E. Abrams argued that the state anti-bias legal ethics rule violated his free speech rights so that his 18-month probation should be tossed.

But the Colorado Supreme Court disagreed, finding that the rule was narrowly tailored to serve a compelling state interest of protecting the public and promoting confidence in the integrity of the judicial system.

“A state’s interest in regulating attorney speech is at its strongest when the regulation is necessary to preserve the ...