{
  "id": 20179745,
  "title": "Therapist's affair with client leads to $2.1m verdict; court voids $1m",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/15/therapists-affair-with-client-leads-to-2-1m-verdict-court-voids-1m",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-15T13:33:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/a-missouri-therapist-counselled-a-woman-and-her-husband-then-became-intimately-involved-with-the-woman-during-sessions-after-a-jury-awarded-more-than-2-1-million-a-november-10-appeals-court-voided-1-million-in-punitive-damages/articleshow/135855820.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Missouri appeals court has upheld most of a $2.1 million judgment against a therapist accused of sexually exploiting a client during therapy sessions, but it stripped $1 million in punitive damages from the ruling. The case, Anita Karase v. Craig Politte, centered on allegations that Politte violated the therapeutic relationship with Karase, who sought counseling for her husband alongside her own sessions.",
  "summary": "In a significant ruling, the Missouri Court of Appeals reinforced a jury's verdict against therapist Craig Politte for professional misconduct, confirming charges of medical negligence, battery, and breaches of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act. Although the jury's compensation award exceeds $2 million, punitive damages were annulled due to distinctions concerning negligence per se claims.",
  "key_points": [
    "Missouri appeals court upholds $2.1 million judgment against therapist Craig Politte",
    "Strips $1 million in punitive damages from ruling",
    "Allegations of therapist exploiting client during therapy sessions"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}