Federal judges in three states face separate misconduct allegations this week, drawing renewed attention to the judiciary’s internal disciplinary system and the mechanisms available to hold federal judges accountable.
In Georgia, Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) filed three articles of impeachment against U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross on Tuesday, alleging “high crimes and misdemeanors.” The articles include allegations that Ross engaged in sexual activity in her chambers during business hours and attended a political event hosted by the campaign of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Rep. Clay Fuller, another Georgia Republican, filed a similar impeachment resolution a day earlier.
“Judge Ross’ deeply disturbing actions prove she is incapable of displaying integrity or showing impartiality,” Clyde said in a statement. “She’s simply unfit to remain a U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of Georgia, which is why I’m leading the charge to impeach Judge Ross and ultimately remove her from the bench.”
A judicial council issued a private reprimand of the judge last month without identifying her by name. The order said the unnamed judge had sex in chambers with a high-ranking police officer during business hours while clerks could hear, and then made false statements about it to judicial superiors before changing course when investigators developed evidence. The judge later apologized to six law clerks and agreed never to serve as chief judge.
The case echoes a similar episode in Alaska, where U.S. District Judge Joshua Kindred resigned two years ago after an internal investigation found he sent crude messages to employees, had sexual contact with a former clerk, and lied about it. MSI previously reported on the Kindred case and broader failures in the judiciary’s workplace misconduct system in a May 29 article.
“Judge Kindred lied to investigators and his career was destroyed. It’s just sort of baffling that the judge in Atlanta did the same thing and got a private reprimand,” said Michael Fragoso, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington.
In Idaho, Ninth Circuit Appeals Court Judge Ryan Nelson pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge after an April confrontation in a parking lot, recently uncovered by the Idaho State Journal. During the encounter, which was captured on video and obtained by the newspaper, Nelson allegedly grabbed a motorist’s glasses and stomped on them in a dispute over parking. The incident went unreported publicly for months while Nelson continued to hear cases.
Curtis Smith, a lawyer for Nelson, said he is “embarrassed by this incident.”
“It is out of character and does not represent how he behaves,” Smith said. “Immediately afterwards, Mr. Nelson reached out and offered an apology and full compensation for the sunglasses. He intends to continue to work through the proper process.”
Chief Ninth Circuit Judge Mary Murguia launched her own investigation this week, noting in a Monday order that “all of the above information was only very recently received” by the courts. Murguia said she was publicly disclosing the probe as part of a commitment to maintain public confidence in the judiciary’s ability to address misconduct.
In Michigan, U.S. District Judge Thomas Ludington faced arraignment after state law enforcement said he failed to undergo required alcohol testing as part of his probation. Ludington took paid leave earlier this year after The Detroit News reported he had been arrested for driving under the influence