Former Colorado prosecutor Laurie Hurst knows this firsthand. She has admitted to having sex with Judge Grafton Biddle in his chambers, and to early morning hook-ups in the women’s showers in the courthouse basement! Oh, and this happened when she was trying cases before Judge Biddle.
That’s the crime. The time? A 3-year suspension of her law license, with 2 1/2 years stayed if she behaves herself. The judge? His case is still pending.
No offense to all of you prison guards, but wouldn’t you prefer to be a judge, making twice as much, and being in charge? Allan C. Berkhimer was a Cambria County, Pennsylvania Judge from 1988 until he was canned in June 2005. Now he’s a corrections officer trainee. What were the charges that led the Court of Judicial Discipline to can him? As reported in The Tribune Democrat:
The state Judicial Conduct Board, which prosecuted the misconduct charges, said Berkhimer routinely used vulgar and sexually suggestive language in conversations with women who worked for him.
On several occasions, he summoned them into his office to show them computer images of naked women, the board said.
Huh? What? Oh, sorry. I was sleeping, much like Rockingham County, New Hampshire Judge Patricia Coffey. She beat that rap, but won’t be able to snooze her way through these latest allegations. See, her husband was disbarred in 2005, and the state has been trying to collect legal fees relating to his disbarment. The Judicial Conduct Committee filed a complaint against Judge Coffee alleging that she helped create a trust to put her husband’s assets beyond the reach of creditors. Although she denied the charges, she did admit that the timing appears compromising. Really? There will be a hearing on the charges in late September. You can read more here.
To be fair, it’s also clear that he dislikes gay men. Spanish Judge Fernando Ferrin was presiding over a custody case following a divorce. The divorced woman is a lesbian. After ruling that the mother lose custody of her daughters, Judge Ferrin then gave her this choice:
Choose between your daughters and your partner.
Damn! His justification? Said Judge Ferrin: “[a] homosexual environment is prejudicial to children, and notably increases the risk that they too become homosexual.” Seems that Judge Ferrin forgot about the Spanish Constitution. The disciplinary board unanimously held that he had erred. He will be disciplined, and could lose his job.
So this reporter went to the courthouse where civil cases are heard in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Here are a few of his observations:
Though the court’s hours are from 7:30 – 2:30, by 8:00, neither the president of the court, nor the administrative manager was present.
If a plaintiff is not in court by 8:00, the case will be thrown out.
At 8:15, of the 23 judges, not a single one was in his office!
By 10:00, 9 of the 23 judges were there. The rest of the judges did not show up at all.
The following day, 8 of the 23 judges showed up.
Per the reporter, Amr Al-Faisal, “What’s nice about all of this is that if a judge is late or absent it means that the case has to be delayed a month, months or perhaps years.” Ouch.
I’ll let Mr. Al-Faisal have the last word:
I conclude this article with a request to my dear brothers and sisters. You must visit the general court in Jeddah to see for yourselves the truth of what’s happening there. And I’m sure that will only increase your trust in the judicial system and induce you to join me in my prayers for them to live long and remain always alert, concerned about people’s rights and making sure they are not denied justice. Amen.
You can read his article in full here.
Even if you are a judge. And even if he is your friend. Judge Maynard Hamilton, Jr. of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania was not real happy when Sergeant Buser did not give him the paperwork he requested. A couple days later, they were at a party, when Sergeant Buser asked the Judge if he had received a check he dropped off for a golfing trip. Here’s what happened, according to court documents (as reported by Brett Lovelace of the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal)
“Yes,” but when Buser approached to shake hands, Hamilton said, “I have had enough of your (expletive). I am not going to take any more. Let’s go downstairs and take care of this man to man. I’m gonna kick your ass.”
Buser followed Hamilton, but he said he wanted to talk, not fight.
Hamilton demanded Buser remove his glasses and butted his chest against the sergeant’s.
Before Buser could remove his glasses, Hamilton punched him in the face, knocking off the glasses. Buser picked up his glasses and told Hamilton he would have to pay to replace them. When Buser threatened to call police, Hamilton said, “This was a mutual fight, and it would not do any good to call the cops.”
Hamilton then punched Buser again in the head.
Buser was knocked to the ground, and Hamilton walked away.
Hamilton returned to the party and told Buser’s wife she could “go pick your piece of (expletive) husband up off the floor.”
Are you surprised his nickname is “Maximum Maynard?” (I made that up.) So what do you think happened to the Judge? Continue reading →
If you missed it, check out yesterday’s entry regarding some strange “justice” in Eutawville, South Carolina. Here’s some more of that there strange justice. This is the side of the story of three fellas who were pulled over by the Eutawville police:
They had finished a day of fishing, and were driving through Eutawville, with a boat in tow. Big mistake – driving through Eutawville, that is.
The Eutawville police pulled them over, they were told, because of a broken taillight on the boat.
Thomas Anderson, after working a 12-hour shift, was driving home in his elevated Ford Crown Victoria (not pictured at right), when he was stopped and ticketed. Seems the height of his car was illegal. Anderson didn’t agree, so he requested a jury trial. And that is where the trouble began. On the day of trial, Anderson’s was the only case (he’ll tell you why he thinks so in a minute). Anderson made a huge mistake, as you’ll soon see, in not having a lawyer. He was found guilty, which he does not now contest. The problem is, that for this violation, the maximum sentence is only a $50 fine – BUT JUDGE CONNOR SENTENCED ANDERSON TO 3 DAYS IN JAIL! Anderson was vindicated, but not after he served the 3 days in jail. 
And the reason for the jail time? According to Anderson (who was coming from his mother’s house when he was stopped!):
I asked for a jury trial and the judge became very upset that I requested the same. The jury found me guilty. Judge Connor gave me 30 days in jail suspended to 3 days and payment of $175. I was given no right to appeal and was taken straight to jail and served 3 days. I ended up losing 2 days from work without pay. … I do not contest being found guilty. I object to the judge sentencing me in excess of what the statute requires.
Said Judge Connor?
So British hero policeman Andrew Shovelar is on trial for attacking his former girlfriend, a trial which was only supposed to take 8 days, but had wrapped its third week. What’s the problem, you’re wondering. Well, you see, several of the jurors have to go on holiday. What’s a judge to do? Not cancel the trial after 3 weeks, right? Wrong! HE DITCHED THE TRIAL SO A JUROR COULD GO ON HOLIDAY! Said Judge Heath:
It was made plain that she would be on the plane to Portugal.
It is the only realistic decision I can take in the circumstances.
No, my right honorable friend, it is not. It’s asinine! Now you know how the juice feels about jury duty. This is insane. What an incredible waste of time and resources! And the new trial? It’s set for 6 weeks in January 2008! (To read more, click here.)
I get pissed off when people whine about jury duty, or try to weasel out of it. Daniel Ellis of Cape Cod, Massachusetts has taken “attempted jury service avoidance” to a new level. Said Judge Gary Nickerson:
In 32 years of service in courtrooms, as a prosecutor, as a defense attorney and now as a judge, I have quite frankly never confronted such a brazen situation of an individual attempting to avoid juror service.
Snap! So what did Ellis do to evoke such a strong statement from Judge Nickerson? Check out this exchange:
Judge: You say on your form that you’re not a fan of homosexuals.
Ellis: That I’m a racist. I’m frequently found to be a liar, too. I can’t really help it.
Judge: I’m sorry?
Ellis: I said I’m frequently found to be a liar.
Judge: So, are you lying to me now?
Ellis: Well, I don’t know. I might be….
Judge: I have the distinct impression that you’re intentionally trying to avoid jury service.
Ellis: That’s true.
Then Judge Nickerson did what any judge in that position should do – he had Ellis carted away to a cell for the rest of the morning! He may yet be charged with perjury.
Legal Juice