Legal Commentary

GA Federal Judge Arrested on Drug and Gun Charges

By Jeralyn

You don't see this too often: A senior federal judge in the Northern District of Alabama (formerly the Chief Judge until taking senior status) has been arrested and charged with illegal drug and gun crimes:

Senior U.S. District Judge Jack T. Camp Jr. was arrested late Friday night near Sandy Springs. Camp, 67, is accused of purchasing cocaine and marijuana, along with prescription painkillers that which he shared with an exotic dancer he met last spring at the Goldrush Showbar in Atlanta, according to an FBI agent’s affidavit for his arrest.

In some cases he bought drugs from the dancer, while in others the pair purchased them from other parties, according to the affidavit. Camp sometimes took loaded guns to the deals. Camp’s arrest came after a buy from an undercover agent, authorities said.

The dancer was cooperating with the feds and they wired her up to record his conversations without knowing. The Affidavit supporting the complaint is here. [More..]

As to the Judge's background:

Camp, a Vietnam veteran appointed to the bench by President Reagan, presided over cases in U.S. District Court in Atlanta for more than 20 years and was the chief judge before retiring last year and taking senior status, which essentially is a former of semi-retirement in which he still handles cases.

According to the affidavit, Camp brought a semi-automatic handgun to a recent drug purchase.

Camp's wife was in the gallery during his court appearance today. The dancer-girlfriend was given immunity from prosecution in exchange for her cooperation. She has a prior drug conviction.

His lawyer says it's a private matter and not about his judging:

“It’s not about Judge Camp being a judge. It is about Judge Camp being a husband and whether he has fulfilled those duties,” Morrison said after the bond hearing before a visiting U.S. magistrate. “This is not a case about judging. ... It is a case about judgment.”

Except he sentences people to jail on drug and gun offenses and has a reputation as a tough sentencer.

And he was using the cocaine and roxycodone. Every federal defendant who pleads guilty is asked in court whether they were under the influence of drugs at the time they decided to plead guilty and whether they are under the influence at the time of the plea. It seems only fair there should be some assurances the judge wasn't under the influence at the time he decided what sentence to impose and at the time he imposed it. I don't think this is a "private matter" at all.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on October 04, 2010 (boomark / email).