Monday, February 1, 2016

Rhode Island Judge Denies Accusations of Odd Behavior, Sexual Harrassment

Rhode Island District Court Judge Rafael Ovalles denies that he has violated the code of judicial conduct, after allegations surfaced last year accusing him of odd behavior, such as taking off his pants while on the job and sexual harassment toward women.

In a 13-page denial, penned by his attorneys, former Rhode Island House Speaker Bill Murphy and former Providence Mayor Angel Taveras (who is a relative), Ovalles said he was "outraged" by the suggestion he has the propensity to remove his pants while in chambers. He also denies the host of damning allegations against him documented in a December report released by the Commission on Judicial Tenure and Discipline, a board that investigates complaints against judges.

The lengthy list of charges against Ovalles includes: sexual harassment/unfair treatment of females; failing to respond quickly to cases involving medical treatment; abusive treatment of court personnel, litigants and the public; failure to maintain professional dignity; odd actions raising concerns over his judicial fitness; obstructing public access to his courtroom; failure to understand basic legal concepts; and impairing litigants' right to fair representation.

Ovalles currently earns $156,800 a year, according to payroll records.

2 comments:

  1. RonnieTuesday, February 02, 2016 9:03:00 PM

    This guy is creepy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. PandaMonday, April 18, 2016 4:15:00 PM

    I had the unfortunate experience of being in his courtroom twice and it was an awful experience. He is an arrogant bully who gets off on belittling people. I hope the RI courts do the right thing and removes this loser from his seat of power. Without pay.

    ReplyDelete