Manly made a lewd comment referring to his testicles in response to Assistant County Attorney Patricia Van Houten's request that he turn over documents in a child-support case, according to court documents. The two were in a settlement conference Jan. 25. Haynie admonished Manly and said he later gave Manly the option of apologizing to him and Van Houten and paying a fine. I gave him every chance to avoid this,'' Haynie said. At a hearing yesterday, Haynie found Manly in contempt of court on two counts and sentenced him to one day in jail on one of the counts.
Contempt of court is punishable by up to six months in jail.
Manly's attorney, Aubrey Williams, could not be reached for comment after yesterday's hearing. Van Houten referred all questions to Bill Patteson, the spokesman for the Jefferson County attorney's office. He said the remark, ''while intentionally vulgar,'' was ''hardly threatening'' or sexually suggestive. Manly, who has been licensed to practice law since 1971, has made headlines at least twice before. He was arrested in March 1998 and charged with menacing after an argument with Assistant County Attorney Angela Bisig outside a courtroom in the Hall of Justice.