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Convicted US federal judge submits resignation effective in one year

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

[JURIST] Convicted US district court judge Samuel Kent on Tuesday submitted his letter of resignation to President Barack Obama effective June 2010, after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice charges in connection with the alleged sexual harassment of his secretary and former case manager. The delayed resignation would allow Kent to collect his full current salary of $174,000 and full health benefits until next year, at which point he would not receive any continuing benefits or pension. Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX), ranking minority member of the US House Judiciary Committee, told reporters that the committee would move forward with impeachment proceedings, scheduled to begin Wednesday, with the goal of removing Kent from office before his resignation becomes effective. A disciplinary panel from the Fifth Circuit has urged the committee to impeach Kent promptly. In February, Kent pleaded guilty to lying to a judicial panel investigating sexual harassment allegations made by his former case manager and legal secretary. He was sentenced in May to 33 months in prison, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $6,500 in restitution as part of his plea agreement. 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 June 03, 2009 (boomark / email).