Federal judge had sex in courthouse chambers, misconduct report says

A judicial misconduct report alleged that a married federal judge repeatedly had sex with a law enforcement officer in courthouse chambers while clerks worked just outside her office door, falsely denying the relationship when confronted later.

The judicial complaint, filed with the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, stated that multiple clerks heard “kissing noises,” “moans” and other sounds consistent with sexual activity coming from the judge’s private office over a period of approximately two years.

One clerk stated that he heard the clerk say the word “matter,” while another said he was so disturbed by the sounds that the clerk left work that day.

The report did not specify the name or gender of the U.S. District Court judge.

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Investigators found the judge engaged in “gross indiscretion” by conducting the alleged relationship with a prominent police commander whose department regularly appears in federal court, creating what the panel called the possibility of a conflict of interest or the appearance of impropriety.

The judge initially dismissed the allegations as “outrageous” and “unfounded” and suggested a law clerk had made up the allegations in retaliation for workplace discipline.

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A gavel, law books, and a statue of Themis are displayed on the judge’s desk. (iStock)

Investigators reviewed courthouse security footage and login records and interviewed former clerks before the judge later admitted to both the relationship and sexual intercourse inside the chambers, according to the complaint.

The report also found that the judge attended a partisan political event connected to the district attorney’s campaign and later made false statements to Chief Judge William Pryor and the court’s chief district judge during the investigation.

Investigators said the judge’s alleged behavior distracted staff, damaged workplace morale and risked undermining public confidence in the judiciary. The report also warned that the undisclosed relationship left the judge vulnerable to potential blackmail because the relationship was hidden from the judge’s wife and colleagues.

A judge’s gavel stands next to the scales of justice and law books, symbolizing the legal system. (Brian A. Jackson/South Florida Sun Sentinell)

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Despite the findings, the judicial council issued only a special condemnation. The judge also agreed to apologize to six former clerks, forgo the opportunity to serve as chief justice in the future, and indefinitely refrain from serving on judicial conference committees.