A federal judge, whose identity remains undisclosed, engaged in an extramarital affair with a high-ranking police officer, including sexual encounters within their chambers during business hours that were reportedly overheard by staff.
Despite initially denying the allegations, the judge has remained on the bench after receiving a “private reprimand” following an investigation by the court system.
The Judicial Council of the 11th Judicial Circuit, which encompasses Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, issued the private reprimand in February.
This decision was subsequently affirmed last week by the Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability of the Judicial Conference of the United States. The judge’s name and specific court location within the 11th Circuit have not been revealed.
Federal judges are appointed for life, but they are subject to various disciplinary actions, including censure, public or private reprimands, and the temporary withholding of cases. Removal from office can only occur through impeachment by Congress.
According to the investigation, the judge and the unidentified officer had “sexual intercourse in the judge’s chambers during business hours within hearing distance of staff.” The judge also attended a partisan political event. Initially, the judge dismissed the allegations as “outrageous” and denied them outright.
In its decision to impose a private reprimand and keep the judge’s name confidential, the committee stated it considered that the judge had recanted their false statements. The committee also concluded that the judge was unlikely to engage in similar misconduct again, noting that they had ended the relationship and committed to avoiding partisan political events in the future. Furthermore, the committee acknowledged the judge’s “otherwise exemplary service to the court.”
“Although the special committee is deeply troubled by the conduct in which the judge engaged, the Subject Judge has demonstrated a strong propensity for rehabilitation and continued diligent service to the judiciary,” the committee’s report stated.
However, the punishment has drawn criticism. Lester Tate, a lawyer who frequently defends Georgia judges facing misconduct charges, described the outcome as a “slap on the wrist.”
“I’m shocked that there was not a more severe punishment for the false statements that were made by this judge during the course of the investigation,” Tate commented, emphasizing his advice to clients to always tell the truth.
He added that a person appointed for life, who sits in judgment of others, should be honest about their own flaws, suggesting that “being held up for a little public scorn” would be appropriate in this instance.
The investigation originated from one of the judge’s law clerks, who reported that the judge had engaged in sexual activity with an officer on multiple occasions in their office. Allegations also surfaced that the judge failed to properly supervise clerks and, on one occasion, yelled and cursed at staff.
William Pryor, chief judge of the 11th Circuit, requested that the judge respond to the allegations. The judge replied the same day, “specifically denied” each claim, and in a follow-up email, speculated that the law clerk might have fabricated the accusations in retaliation for being required to work in the office.
Pryor subsequently appointed a special committee to investigate.
The committee’s review of logs and security footage confirmed an officer frequently visited the judge’s chambers around lunchtime. Six clerks recalled seeing someone matching the officer’s description, with three remembering overhearing what “may have been sexual activity” in the judge’s office.
Three clerks also recounted an incident in which the judge declined to have lunch with summer interns on their first day, acknowledging that they had consumed “too many martinis the night before at a primary election victory party for a district attorney friend.”
Clerks described an “eggshell culture” and noted the judge “rarely, if ever, substantively edited civil orders the clerks drafted,” though the committee found no evidence of abusive behavior.
The judge ultimately admitted to having an extramarital sexual relationship with the officer but denied the allegations regarding staff mistreatment, according to the committee.
They acknowledged attending a “mixer” for former employees of a district attorney’s office but maintained it was in a separate room from the victory party.
As part of the resolution, the judge agreed to write apology letters to six former law clerks, decline the position of chief judge of the district when eligible, and refrain from serving on any Judicial Conference committee.
