Sex benches Fed judge: Years of sexual assault; He's prison bound, but still wants high salary while doing hard time; Why not castration? Crooked justice: When judges turn juvy sentences into a cash cow, they're the ones best in shackles. Why is this guy smiling? Rap: firearms in domestic dispute. Guilty... 1st Fed judge charged with sex crimes. Rap: abusive sexual contact. Even top judges must abide by law.

HOME     ABOUT    CONTACT Black Robe Disease Disorder outside the court: Some judges commit same crimes as on their dockets. Most lawyers I know are arrogant to begin with. When a lawyer dons a black robe, thereby joining the high ranks of the judiciary, something almost invariably happens – the new judge contracts Black Robe Disease. The first noticeable sign of BRD is a Goodyear-blimp-size-head. I can testify - many times over - to this unfortunate phenomenon. A severe form of Black Robe Disease is abuse of power. Former President Richard Nixon apparently was the model for some judges who believe they are above the law. These judges feel they are exempt from the standards they apply to others. They sit elevated on the bench and routinely sentence drunk drivers to jail time, fines, and drivers' license suspensions. When a city cop or state trooper pulls a judge-driven car over and asks his-or-her-honor to blow in a bag, some judges get all puffed up and indignant. Some go so far as to hurl racial epithets at arresting officers or claim, “You can't arrest me. I'm a judge.” Wow, hey judge, accountability is a two-way street. You should have learned that in law school. Should there be a double standard – laws that apply to us common folk that do not apply to judges? No! No! No! Judges expect everyone to treat them with an elevated level of respect. When a judge commits a crime, he or she not only violates a law, but also betrays the public trust. If there is a double standard, let judges be held to a higher standard than the rest of us, not a lower standard. Along with power to find a defendant guilty and throw him into prison comes the duty to be shining examples of what law-abiding – in its most pristine form - really means. Judge Stuart Dubose Of course, drunk driving is minor compared to some crimes judges commit. For example, former Alabama Judge Stuart DuBose was removed from office on ethics charges and was convicted of firearms charges related to a restraining order in a domestic dispute. Bribery, fraud, theft, and tax evasion are standard fare crimes for judges. Sometimes judges are convicted of the really icky stuff - sexual exploitation of children and other sex-related crimes. The obvious question: What are these judges thinking when they walk out of the courthouse and into bed with a minor? I guess they think what every criminal thinks, “I won't get caught.” EDITOR'S NOTE: C. A. Nix has a prosecutor's awareness. She has a prosecutor's perspective. In all she writes, she represents the People of the United States of America. All inquiries: canix@nix-on-crime.com. © 2008 C.A. Nix