A federal judge in the 11th Judicial Circuit has received a private reprimand after an investigation found that they engaged in an extramarital sexual relationship with a high-ranking police officer, including encounters in their chambers during business hours that were overheard by staff. The judge’s identity has not been disclosed.
The Judicial Council of the 11th Circuit, covering Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, issued the reprimand in February, a decision affirmed last week by the Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability of the Judicial Conference of the United States. The judge initially denied the allegations, calling them “outrageous,” but later admitted to the affair.
According to the investigation, the judge and the 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. The committee noted the judge’s recantation of false statements, the end of the relationship, and a commitment to avoid political events, as well as “otherwise exemplary service.”
However, the punishment has drawn criticism. Lester Tate, a lawyer who defends judges facing misconduct, called it a “slap on the wrist,” expressing shock that the judge faced no more severe penalty for making false statements during the investigation.
The probe began after a law clerk reported the sexual activity. Security logs confirmed frequent visits by the officer, and three clerks recalled overhearing what “may have been sexual activity.” The judge also acknowledged attending a “mixer” for former employees of a district attorney’s office, but denied attending a victory party.
