According to the complaint, in 1988, then 20-year-old Charles Corbishley was “forcibly sodomized and sexually assaulted by defendant Napolitano, who was a state court judge in New Jersey presiding over Plaintiff’s criminal case when the assault occurred.”
The document graphically describes the alleged incident, in which the then 20-year-old man was told to appear at Napolitano’s home address with a Christmas card to shovel the snow in his driveway. They complaint alleges that this meeting was arranged by the man’s lawyer, Robert Hollis, who would later plead guilty to running a national prostitution ring through his law office.
Corbishley allegedly appeared at Napolitano’s home, and was confused as there was no snow to be shoveled. He then knocked on Napolitano’s door, and was told to shovel the snow. Moments later, the document claims, Napolitano summoned Corbishley to the side of his house, and informed him that he “could be going away for a long time,” no emphasis added.
Defendant NAPOLITANO then approached Plaintiff CHARLES CORBISHLEY, and stated “you know, you could be going away for a long time.” As Defendant was speaking to Plaintiff, he proceeded to place his hand on Plaintiff’s shoulder, and forced Plaintiff to his knees. As he pushed Plaintiff down toward the ground, Defendant told Plaintiff to “be a good boy.” At this point, Defendant NAPOLITANO appeared to be masturbating through his clothing, moving his hand back and forth over his penis. Thereafter, Defendant NAPOLITANO pulled his erect penis out. Plaintiff Charles Corbishley was then forced to perform fellatio on the Honorable Andrew Napolitano, the presiding Justice on his criminal case.
The complaint also claims that Corbishley did not fight back because, due to the difference in power between the 20-year-old facing prison and the state judge, he did not know what the consequences would be for his actions.
The document continues to elaborate, in graphic detail, what happened in the seconds and minutes following the alleged sexual assault:
As Defendant began to ejaculate into Plaintiff’s mouth, Plaintiff took off crying and ran away. Plaintiff was only 20 years old at the time of this sexual assault. Plaintiff then stopped by a nearby diner and desperately tried to clean himself and remove the semen from his clothing, face and mouth.
Corbishley, who was instructed to plead guilty to all charges by his lawyer, would ultimately be sentenced probation and community service. When Corbishley allegedly violated his probation, those charges more or less disappeared.
Ultimately, Corbishley was released from his probation, with Napolitano writing that “defendant has been burdened with probation long enough given the nature of the original offense, and that further probation would be fruitless and frustrative for both the defendant and probation department.”
The document also reveals that Corbishley’s legal team is claiming Napolitano used his connections to law enforcement to claim that Corbishley was threatening Napolitano’s life in an effort to keep the complaint from being filed.
From Law & Crime:
“The complaint declares that Judge Napolitano recently attempted to stop Mr. Corbishley from filing this lawsuit by making up false criminal charges against him,” a press release from Corbishley’s legal team alleges. “Specifically, Napolitano recently contacted law enforcement officials in New Jersey and told them that Mr. Corbishley had made violent threats against him. These claims were outright fabrications that Napolitano made to intimidate Mr. Corbishley and prevent him from filing this lawsuit.”
Napolitano has expressly denied the accusations, and a statement from his lawyer mentioned the alleged violent threats. “Given Corbishley’s violent past and threats to harm Judge Napolitano, law enforcement is monitoring his movements and taking additional steps to ensure Judge Napolitano’s safety,” wrote the lawyer.
The lawsuit seeks $10 million in damages for the alleged assault and ensuing psychological trauma.