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: JURIST - The Paper Chase

Federal judge sentenced for lying in sexual harassment investigation

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

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[JURIST] US District Judge Samuel Kent was sentenced Tuesday to 33 months in prison for obstruction of justice for lying to a judicial panel investigating sexual harassment allegations against him. Kent was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $6,550 in restitution as part of a plea agreement in which prosecutors dropped additional charges against Kent and limited the amount of jail time he could have faced. Despite the sentence, Kent technically retains a pension for his judgeship, though US House Judiciary Committee members John Conyers (D-MI) and Lamar Smith (R-TX) have said they will seek his impeachment if he does not resign and forfeit the pension. Kent's plea prevented him from becoming the first federal judge to go on trial for sexual harassment. He was indicted last August, and was initially charged with the sexual harassment of his former case manager. Charges related to the alleged sexual abuse of his secretary were added in January. In 2007, the American Bar Association (ABA) adopted new policies reforming the Model Code of Judicial Conduct, which for the first time included prohibitions against sexual harassment, although some advocacy groups believe these changes do not go far enough.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on May 12, 2009 (boomark / email).