Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Federal judge reprimanded over affair with police officer in chambers
The Richard B. Russell Federal Building (FOX 5)
ATLANTA – An Atlanta federal district court judge remains on the bench after an investigation revealed she had an extramarital affair and sex in her chambers, initially lying to investigators before admitting to the actions.
Atlanta federal judge reprimanded
What we know:
TMZ reports that the investigation revealed that the judge engaged in an extramarital sexual relationship with members of the Atlanta Police Department.
The Associated Press reports that two had sex in the judge’s chambers during business hours within hearing distance of staff. Law clerks reported the activity after overhearing the encounters on multiple occasions.
Security footage and logs confirmed that the officer frequently visited the judge’s chambers in uniform around lunchtime. The judge initially called the allegations “outrageous” and denied them. She later recanted and admitted to the relationship.
The committee issued a private reprimand, keeping her name secret because she demonstrated a propensity for rehabilitation and had an otherwise exemplary service record. The judge agreed to write apology letters to six former law clerks, decline the position of chief judge of the district, and refrain from serving on any Judicial Conference committee. Her identity was later unmasked in a report by Bloomberg.
What we don’t know:
Officials have not yet confirmed the exact dates when the misconduct occurred inside the Atlanta federal building.
The police department has not disclosed whether the officer faces internal disciplinary action or if his employment status has changed following the investigation.
Big picture view:
Federal judges receive lifetime appointments under the U.S. Constitution and can only be removed from office through impeachment by Congress. The judicial system relies on internal circuits to review misconduct complaints through committees. These bodies can issue private or public reprimands, censure judges, or temporarily withhold new cases, but they lack the legal authority to strip a judge of their title.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Associated Press, who reviewed investigative reports from the Judicial Council of the 11th Judicial Circuit, as well as a digital report from TMZ detailing the unmasking of the judge’s identity by Bloomberg.