Disbar Judge Who Slept With the Prosecution
The state disciplinary agency for attorneys requested today that a judge who had an affair with a prosecutor be disbarred because he "deceitfully tainted the bench" with his behavior.
"Judges should be held to the highest standard," prosecutor Kim E. Ikeler said during the disciplinary hearing for former Douglas County Judge Grafton Minot Biddle.
Biddle,57, resigned in December before his affair with deputy district attorney Laurie A. Hurst was made public. Hurst, 29, who used the last name of Steinman at the time, is now divorced.
"He knew when he took the bench the trust that had been placed in him," Ikeler said. "He knew that he was betraying that trust."
Biddle did not attend the disciplinary hearing and has in the past not responded in writing to the allegations against him, as requested by the Attorney Regulation Counsel, which monitors lawyer misconduct.
State Supreme Court Disciplinary Judge William Lucero has 60 days to decide Biddle's punishment.
Rocky Mountain News
1 comment:
Biddle probably will be disbarred, not primarily because he slept with a prosecutor, but because the system routinely disbars attorneys who make no effort to respond to the charges brought against them.
Mercy is frequently available for either disputes on the merits, or their severity, or simply outright apologies accompanied by character witnesses in support of the notion that you are a good guy. But, freezing up and being non-responsive is an almost sure case for disbarment as it indicates that you have abandoned your practice.
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