Judge Mablean Ephriam, leading family law attorney for 27 years and former star of Fox’s Divorce Court

Tiger Woods extra-marital affairs are not a crime. Adultery is not a crime in Florida. It is the number one cause of divorce and a habit not likely to end anytime soon. He is not the first high profile man involved in an adulterous affair. Nor, will he be the last. As I write this, someone is involved in an adulterous affair. Yet, he is being ripped apart by the public over the personal commitment he made to his wife. He owes his wife only amn explanation and no one else.

We are inter-meddlers, adding fuel to the fire. We have had our time to put our two cents into his business. Now, we need to butt out.

A double standard is being imposed on Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods should not lose any endorsements because of his adultery. The idea that he is a role model and has disappointed the public and thus must be reprimanded by companies is ridiculous. Revoking his endorsements is a double standard. Bill Clinton committed adultery and remained the President of the United States, the leader of the largest, most powerful nation in the world. Sure, there were impeachment proceedings, but he was still compensated. Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina was recently caught having an extramarital affair that may/may not have used taxpayer dollars for his travels and trysts. He lied to his staff and to his constituency. He left his post of duty and his whereabouts were unknown for days. Yet, he has not lost his job. He refuses to step down and he has not been sanctioned nor impeached. Rudy Guiliani, former Mayor New York and 2008 Republican candidate for President, engaged in an extra-martial affair, while in office. He boldly brought his mistress to the New York Mayor’s home, paid for by the taxpayers. Is not an elected politician, a governor, a role model?

Most recently, David Letterman admitted that he had several affairs with women on his show who were subordinate to him. In most circumstances,, this may have been considered as sexual harassment in the workplace, or at the least, a hostile environment in the workplace. Yet, he has not lost this job as a late night television host. He even makes jokes about Tiger. Wow, a late night talk show host is not a role model? Does he nit have considerable influence on others?

Tiger is an athlete. Why is he being held to a standard higher than other men, like former President Clinton, Governor Sanford and Mayor Guiliani? These men are in professions that require honesty, and integrity. They are elected by the people and responsible to them. Athletes do not take an oath. We -- the public, the media -- made him an idol. Tiger swings a golf club and hits a little white ball. Where is the role model in that? I suppose he is a role model because he makes billions of dollars?

What is upsetting America about Tiger, in my opinion, is that he was quiet, clean cut and stayed to himself. For this, we made him perfect and forced to live up to impossible ideals. Tiger is a man who is subject to the same whims and temptations as all men (and women, too). All of us, any of us, can be tempted by sex. I am sure that he is not the only married golfer that has had an extra-marital affair.

There’s also a second ( 2nd) double standard being applied here -- The women in his life are being portrayed as victims. They were not victims. Every woman Tiger was involved with knew that he was married. Each woman made a choice, for different reasons, to be involved with him despite that marriage. One woman who was recently interviewed, labeled the first ( 1st) first mistress, (although we’ll never be sure what her true rank is), had the audacity to be upset with him when she found out about other women. She said in an interview, “I thought that he was an honest man. He lied to me.” To the contrary. She knew that he was married when he approached her and she did not rebuff him. She knew then that he was not an honest man. She made herself believe that she was a better woman than his wife and hoped to profit from that in various ways. Again, a double standard. Is it because they had sex with a billionaire, married man, all-time athlete, that their conduct is excused? Other women, poor women, African-American women, Latina women, who have affairs with average men for money are called prostitutes, sluts and we are enraged by their behavior. The women involved with Tiger are paraded and interviewed as victims, while their behavior is equally immoral. It would not surprise me if one or all of them were offered a television show, a book deal, monetary gain from their illicit behavior. Why the distinction?

The final double standard -- Tiger and his wife were involved in domestic violence when the accident occurred and yet no one is being investigated or prosecuted for that. Domestic abuse is a crime, regardless of which spouse is the perpetrator. The officers accepted the explanation by Tiger that he lost control and hit a fire hydrant and gave him a traffic citation. From 27 years of legal experience, my deductive reasoning leads to different conclusions. Tiger was not in that truck because he just wanted to take a ride during the night. His wife, Elin, found out about the extra-marital affair and confronted him. An argument ensued. She swung at him. Tiger did not fight back. He tried to deflect and decided to leave the house to give Elin time to calm down or the fury of an angry wife. He knew that he could not hit his wife. Plus, he felt bad that she had discovered his lies. He left the house. Elin followed, with a golf club. He got in the truck. Elin swung the club to hit him and stop him. He took cover, ducked. His foot was on the accelerator. He accelerated faster than anticipated and crashed. This is a more logical explanatinon than the one that has been provided. Yet, ni further investigation, It has been reported that Tiger’s face is bruised. Thus, he remains in hiding. Yet, no domestic violence charge against Elin. Extra-marital affairs, adultery, phone calls nor anger are justifications for domestic violence. Chris Brown was angry when he struck Rihanna. He now has a felony conviction. Some reports say Tiger did not want to press charges so he took all of the blame. Despite that, the officers had a duty to investigate and to arrest. Rihanna, Chris Brown’s victim, initially did not want to press charges. But, the police, District Attorney, media and public insisted that Chris Brown be punished. By not investigating this as a domestic violence dispute, we are sending a mixed message. Domestic abuse is a crime, whether committed by husband or wife, by a billionaire golfer and his wife or by average persons, regardless of race, gender or financial status.

Whatever the issue, spouses must learn ways to handle conflict other than violence, even if it is extra-marital affairs, with one, ten, or however many men or women. Sexual misbehavior cannot be met with violence. Unless we deal with that issue, we have left the door open for people to believe that Elin’s response to Tiger’s infidelities is appropriate. It is not. No less than Tiger’s adulterous affair. Two wrongs do not make a right.