Casper Star-Tribune
Leggett sentenced to probation for sex crimes
By Deirdre Stoelzle
August 2, 1994

— Excerpt

CASPER — Convicted in April of two counts of second-degree sexual assault, former Casper psychiatrist Joseph Leggett was sentenced to five years of supervised probation Monday in 7th District Court.

Legett committed the sexual assaults while working in Casper between 1982 and 1986.

In a plea agreement promising no jail time, Leggett pleaded no contest to two counts involving use of his position of authority as a doctor to force his patients to submit to sexual acts.

One former patient of Leggett’s who spoke at the sentencing characterized Leggett as a “predator” and a “very dangerous man.” She asked District Court Judge Dan Spangler to hand down a sentence that would ensure that Leggett, 51 , never practices medicine again.

Treated for severe depression by Leggett, the woman expIained to Spangler that Leggett had convinced her to have sex with him, claiming it would help her psychologically.

Under the terms of Leggett’s sentence, the defendant is forbidden to treat women patients only during the five-year probation period.

His license to practice medicine in Texas, however, where he now lives, was terminated after his felony convictions in April. Typically, felony convictions preclude the issuance of medical licenses…