Breaking News

2 Judges Censured for Having Sex in Their Chambers
Download PDF
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading...

steiner

 

Summary: Two California Judges have been Censured for having sex in their chambers, amidst other indiscretions.

  
What
Where


Two California judges have recently been censured by the state’s judicial disciplinary commission for having sex in their courtroom chambers. Orange County Judge Scott Steiner had sex in 2012 with an intern and with a local attorney, former students of his from Chapman University. Kern County Judge Cory Woodward had sex with the court clerk, a 10-month relationship he lied about when questioned by a superior.

Neither judge was removed from bench, but both were given the strongest public reprimand the Commission on Judicial Performance can wield against a judge. They said that “engaging in sexual intercourse in the courthouse is the height of irresponsible and improper behavior by a judge. It reflects an utter disrespect for the dignity and decorum of the court, and is seriously at odds with a judge’s duty to avoid conduct that tarnishes the esteem of the judicial office in the public’s eye.”

Certainly both judges did some tarnishing. Steiner not only had sex with the intern in his chambers, but also wrote a letter of recommendation for her when she applied for a job with the district attorney’s office, following up the letter with an “irritated” phone call when she didn’t land a second interview. He further befuddled his office by reassigning cases the lawyer he was having an affair with to specific other judges.

Get JD Journal in Your Mail

Subscribe to our FREE daily news alerts and get the latest updates on the most happening events in the legal, business, and celebrity world. You also get your daily dose of humor and entertainment!!




Woodward meanwhile kept up sexual relations with his court clerk between July 2012 and May 2013, passing her “notes of a sexual nature,” during proceedings, and sending her personal messages on the court computer, a longstanding indiscretion that finally dissolved after the clerk’s husband complained.

They shared an attorney, Paul S. Meyer, who claimed that both men cooperated with the investigations and apologized. In fact, Woodward was not removed for his deceitful behavior because the commission noted his colleagues regarding him as having “respect” and being “hardworking, intelligent, and conscientious,” as sfgate.com reported.





 

RELEVANT JOBS

Associate Attorney

USA-PA-Exton

ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY McKenna Snyder LLC, a law firm in Exton, PA has an immediate opening for an ex...

Apply now

Attorney

USA-MI-Sturgis

Qualifications: HaasCaywood is seeking associate attorneys for our Coldwater and Sturgis, Michiga...

Apply now

Attorney

USA-MI-Coldwater

Qualifications: HaasCaywood is seeking associate attorneys for our Coldwater and Sturgis, Michiga...

Apply now

Insurance Defense Trial Attorney/ Senior Counsel

USA-CA-San Francisco

Job description Trial Attorney - Personal Injury Defense Full Job Description Hickey Smith ...

Apply now

BCG FEATURED JOB

Locations:

Keyword:



Search Now

Education Law Attorney

USA-CA-El Segundo

El Segundo office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an education law attorney with ...

Apply Now

Education Law Attorney

USA-CA-Carlsbad

Carlsbad office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an education law attorney with 4-...

Apply Now

Education Law and Public Entity Attorney

USA-CA-El Segundo

El Segundo office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an education law and public ent...

Apply Now

Most Popular

SEARCH IN ARCHIVE

To Top