A north Alabama lawyer representing a domestic violence defendant pleaded guilty to harassing his client’s victim and making her scared to show up at the courthouse, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced Friday.

John Totten, 50, of Athens, told the victim to stay at his office after he finished a meeting with her and his client prior to a court hearing.

When the victim went to the courthouse, according to Marshall, Totten confronted her verbally and told her to leave the building, “causing her to be fearful of showing up at the courthouse.”

Totten pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of misdemeanor harassment.

He was sentenced to 90 days in the Limestone County jail.

“Victims of domestic violence should not fear harassment from attorneys who represent their attackers,” Marshall said in announcing the guilty plea and sentence. “Attorneys should especially be held to the strictest moral and ethical standards as they carry out their roles in our judicial system. Those who violate these standards will face criminal prosecution in accordance with the law.”