Federal Judge Privately Reprimanded After Chambers Sex Scandal With Police Official
A federal judge in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit received only a private reprimand after investigators concluded the judge engaged in a years-long affair with a high-ranking law enforcement officer that included sexual encounters inside judicial chambers during work hours.
The disciplinary findings, released by the Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability, upheld conclusions from the Judicial Council of the Eleventh Circuit that the unnamed judge violated judicial conduct standards through the relationship and later misled investigators about it.
According to investigators, court staff reported hearing noises “consistent with intimate activity” coming from the judge’s chambers, including kissing sounds and moaning, prompting a formal inquiry in September 2025.
The investigation reportedly included interviews with court personnel, reviews of security footage and visitor logs, and even forensic testing of a stained couch cushion inside chambers. The forensic examination ultimately did not confirm the presence of semen.
Investigators concluded the judge had engaged in an extramarital relationship with a senior law enforcement official over a period of roughly two years and had sexual encounters in chambers during business hours while staff members were nearby.
The probe also determined that the judge falsely denied aspects of the relationship when initially questioned and attended a partisan political event connected to a district attorney campaign, which violated judicial ethics guidance restricting political involvement.
The Judicial Council warned that the undisclosed relationship and false statements created potential vulnerabilities involving blackmail or extortion concerns, though investigators noted the judge did not oversee cases directly involving the officer.
Despite the findings, the punishment remained limited. The judge received a private reprimand, was ordered to write apology letters to former clerks, and was barred from serving as chief judge or participating on Judicial Conference committees.
Judicial authorities said they declined to impose harsher discipline because the judge later corrected false statements, cooperated with investigators after initially lying, ended the relationship, and pledged not to attend future partisan political events.
The oversight panel concluded the punishment was “appropriate and proportional,” emphasizing what it described as the judge’s otherwise exemplary record of service on the bench.