Some people are just blessed with gifts. Imagine being a respected judge, with a secure six-figure job for life and more time off than you know what to do with. Toss in to the equation being irresistible to women, and you’ve pretty much described my fantasy life.
Unfortunately for Judge Robert F. Murray of Plymouth County, Massachusetts, it was a bit too much fantasy and not enough reality. He tried to… er… “share his briefs” with a couple of women — women who, unfortunately for the judge, 1) didn’t approve of his appeals; B) happened to work for him; and III) knew their rights when it came to sexual harassment issues. They sued, and the state ended up forking over a quarter of a million dollars to the objects of his unwanted affections.
So, the state was out $250,000 for this guy’s inability to keep it in his robes. They oughta be able to recoup their losses somehow, right? And to take some kind of action to bench his affections?
Well, the state Judicial Conduct Commission kicked it around among themselves, and Judge Tongue, and came up with an equitable solution:
1) The judge had been on paid leave since January. Because they’re such nice guys, they let him keep his $112,777 salary he’d already collected for this year.
2) They did give him a year’s suspension, but to show they really are unhappy, they made it unpaid this time.
3) They fined him $50,000 as well.
Let’s do the math: Judge Tongue gets about 22 months vacation, about 4.5 of it essentially paid, then gets to return to his cushy job. The state, in return, saves about $163,000 in pay for the judge, but that still leaves it about $87,000 in the hole because of this guy’s ego.
And in about a year or so, he’ll be back on the bench with it all behind him.
Yup. Gotta be in Massachusetts.
You’ve already got the irresistable part worked out since the latest work I did on the Shaggin’ Wagon, all you need now is the job…
I’ve been here for forty years, and I still haven’t come to understand what a judge has to do to be removed from the bench.
Call me naive if you must, but I would have thought sexually harrassing your court employees would pretty much guarantee your demise. Silly me.
What would you expect from one of the bluest of blue states?
Although you would think women’s rights would be more important in a blue state, wouldn’t you?
Ask Mary Joe Kopecnik about women’s rights in the blue state of Massachusetts!
They didn’t save a dime. Someone is going to have to take his case load. I would imagine they’re going to have to pay the person. Just a guess.
What a bunch of smucks.
This is not uncommon. I’ve given out knucklehead awards twice in the last two months to similiar judicial conduct committees or commissions. The legal profession protects its own not the victims.
Here are my posts-
http://thefloridamasochist.blogspot.com/2005/11/knuckleheads-of-day-award_16.html
and
http://thefloridamasochist.blogspot.com/2005/10/knuckleheads-of-day-award.html
Both outrageous cases. Its not just MA. In FL we had a judge jail a juror candidate for lying on a questionaire. This same judge lied on her judicial application for the job she now holds. Our judicial system is busted and corrupt.
Unless something better comes up this is my leading knucklehead candidate for tomorrow.
Lovely post, which I plan to link to over at my blog. There are definitely good judges out there, and I’ve got the fingers of one hand on which to count them. So many, though, are political hacks, and so many are egotistical people who believe that having those robes draped across their shoulders elevates them to a special sphere that obviates their obligation to comply with ordinary laws and behavioral norms.
In FL…[o]ur judicial system is busted and corrupt.
Well, what are you waiting for, man? Get Janet Reno to fix it! : )