The Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC)
filed formal charges against Middle Judicial Circuit Supreme Court Judge
Robert Reeves on November 16, listing 58 counts of alleged misconduct
based on complaints by attorneys and others that the Judge made
derogatory remarks in the courtroom, engaged in sexual harassment, and
made inappropriate use of his title.
The JQC’s Investigative Panel concluded that “Formal
Charges should be filed for the purpose of determining whether Judge
Reeves has violated the Code of Judicial Conduct, and if so, whether he
has committed willful misconduct in office, exhibited habitual
intemperance, and whether his conduct is prejudicial to the
administration of justice such that it brings the judicial office into
disrepute.”
Charles Boring, Director of the JQC, who filed the
notice of formal charges, requested that proceedings be instituted for
the purpose of determining whether Judge Reeve’s conduct constitutes
violations of the Code of Judicial Conduct, and if so, the appropriate
discipline.
Judge Reeves was formally notified of the alleged
misconduct and required to file a verified answer to these charges
with the Clerk of the Georgia Supreme Court and to serve a copy to
Director Boring within 30 days of notification of the charges. “Failure
to answer the formal continued from page
charges shall constitute an admission of the factual
allegations pursuant to JQC Rule 21 (A), according to the JQC document
regarding the inquiry.
Reeves, who has been on the bench since 2007, serves
as the Chief Judge in the Middle Judicial Circuit Supreme Court, which
covers Toombs, Candler, Emanuel, Washington, and Jefferson Counties.
In the 60-page JQC document, several narratives of
Reeves’ alleged misuse of authority are reported in a variety of
situations, each divided by the nature of the offense. Improper and Intemperate Comments
The JQC presented Reeves with 17 formal charges related to improper
and intemperate comments that the Judge is accused of making while on
the bench. In its charges, the Commission argues that Reeves “failed to
act in a manner that promotes the public’s confidence in the
independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary,” but that
the Judge “failed to establish, maintain, and enforce high standards of
conduct, and to personally observe such standards of conduct in
violation of the Code of Judicial Conduct.”
One instance which the JQC listed as evidence of these
charges occurred when Reeves reportedly made an inappropriate remark
to a Toombs County court attendee while giving instructions to the court
attendees prior to excusing them for lunch. According to the JQC,
Reeves had told the court attendees to remain seated while he finished
his instructions. When an African-American male rose and began to leave
the courtroom, Reeves is reported as saying, “Sir, you’re walking and
I’m telling you to be still. Are you really that retarded?”
The JQC also lists an instance from March 18, 2022, as
evidence for the charges, saying that Reeves made another inappropriate
comment while presiding over a criminal calendar in Toombs County.
During this instance, it is reported that a jailer asked the Judge when
the court would be breaking for lunch, to which Reeves replied : “get
the people (inmates) fed? You mean we have to feed these people
(inmates)?” The report states that several supporters of the inmates
were in the courtroom during this instance, and several became visibly
upset after the comment.
In June of this year, Reeves allegedly publicly
chastised a female attorney for the Middle Judicial Circuit Public
Defender’s Office so intensely that she left the courtroom in tears. At
the time of the event, it is reported that the attorney’s office was
experiencing extreme staffing shortages, which was causing the
attorney to have difficulty with the amount of paperwork required in
preparation for the case. After the attorney left, Reeves is reported
to have made a comment along the lines of “if you can’t handle the
heat, stay out of the kitchen.” Gender-Based Improper Comments
According to the JQC, from at least 2016 through 2022, Judge Reeves
allegedly engaged in a pattern of improper behavior that, at a minimum,
gave the appearance of constituting sexual harassment and/or bias
based upon the gender of various females involved in the Middle Judicial
Circuit court system. Several instances of this improper behavior were
also cited as evidence for the 20 formal charges regarding these
comments.
In one instance, a female employee of the Middle
Judicial Circuit’s Public Defender’s Office was walking down a one-way
street near the office when Reeves reportedly whistled at her and drove
his car the wrong way on the road to approach her. The JQC document
stated that once reaching the woman, Reeves made a statement to the
effect of, “What’s a pretty girl like you doing walking alone?” The
employee, who is reported to be nicknamed “Miss America” by the Judge,
warned Reeves that police often ticketed motorists for driving in the
wrong direction on that one-way street.
Several instances of misconduct between Reeves and the
female employee were listed in the indictment, including reported
touching of shoulders, rubbing of the back, and attempted hugging that
the female employee stated made her uncomfortable. According to the
charges, it is suspected that these instances occurred so often that
the employee no longer approaches Reeves alone, and has a coworker join
her when conducting business.
Reeves was also reported to have told another female
attorney that she needed to choose between being a full-time mother and a
full-time attorney because she was unable to accomplish both tasks,
as well as making comments about her husband’s back injury he received
while on vacation, saying “if you didn’t do the stuff you see on TV…you
know one foot on the nightstand and one foot way over here, he wouldn’t
hurt his back.”
The charges also listed instances of reported comments
made by Reeves about a female Assistant District Attorney’s weight and
appearance. After learning of the woman’s participation in a local
race, Reeves reportedly said to her: “I knew you would have to be doing
something to keep in shape, or you would have started gaining weight.”
The JQC document stated that during these instances,
Judge Reeves did, in the performance of his judicial duties, by words
and conduct manifest bias and prejudice and engage in harassment, based
upon gender. The JQC document also charged that he failed to be
dignified and courteous toward a person continued from page
with whom he deals in his official capacity and failed
to act in a manner that promotes public confidence in the independence,
integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary. Other Alleged Improper Contact with Court Personnel
The JQC presented 10 formal charges against Reeves for other instances
of alleged improper contact with court personnel, which stemmed from
incidents in which Reeves reportedly asked other court officials to
alter their decisions for the benefit of Reeves’s acquaintances.
A few instances discussed reports of Reeves asking
judges and solicitors to avoid taking action against defendants for the
benefit of these defendants, with whom Reeves was acquainted.
In one alleged incident, Reeves reportedly told an
Assistant District Attorney that she should press charges against a law
enforcement official for his actions regarding a serious motor vehicle
accident. The incident involved a defendant in Emanuel County who left
the scene of an accident and later contacted a law enforcement officer
with whom he was acquainted to assist as he turned himself into
authorities. Reeves allegedly told the Assistant District Attorney that
the officer waited too long to relay that information and that she
should also charge the law enforcement officer with a crime.
Fundraising and Promotion of Advocacy Center A
total of 11 formal charges were brought against Reeves for his
participation in a 2015 promotional video for an area non-profit
organization, an advocacy facility serving communities in the Middle
Judicial Circuit. The employees of the organization regularly testify
in the Superior Court of the Middle Judicial Circuit in cases involving
child victims, including but not limited to, child sexual and physical
abuse cases.
In the video, which the JQC reported was still
available for viewing on the Center’s website in June 2022, Reeves
appears onscreen with a banner that states, “Judge Bobby Reeves,
Superior Court Judge,” as he discusses the benefits of the
organizatoion’s work in judicial cases.
It is also reported that Reeves hosted a two-hour
fundraiser for the area non-profit organization in December 2020,
footage of which was still available online in June 2022. During this
fundraiser, Reeves is said to have encouraged viewers to donate to the
cause, and even called out lawyers, teachers, and other members of the
community to donate. He reportedly challenged lawyers and attorneys to
match every $500 donated by the public, and thoroughly discussed the
role of the organization in his court.
By participating in these actions, the JQC alleges
that Reeves “failed to establish, maintain, and enforce high standards
of conduct, and to personally observe such standards of conduct so that
the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary is
maintained.” Also, the JQC alleges that Reeves lent the prestige of his
office to advance the private interests of others and conveyed and
enabled others to advance the impression that an organization was in a
position to influence him.
The JQC alleges that Reeves engaged in extrajudicial
activities that cast doubt on his capacity to impartially decide issues
and engaged in activities promoting an organization concerning the law,
the legal system, and the administration of justice for which he
personally solicited funds during public fundraising activities.
What’s Next
Reeves will continue to serve on the bench unless
disciplinary action is taken by the JQC or the Supreme Court. Once the
Commission receives his response to the formal charges, a hearing will
be held to determine whether the case will go to trial or be dropped. If
the case goes to trial, any decision may be appealed in lower courts
until it is overseen by the state Supreme Court, who will make the final
decision. Because of this, the case may take up to two years to be
concluded. Possible outcomes if the Judge is found guilty of these
claims are retirement, censure, and suspension or removal from office.
Full Article & Source:
JQC Files Formal Charges Against Superior Court Judge Robert Reeves
