District Court Judge Thomas Estes who has admitted to having repeated sex with a court clinician asked the state’s highest court Tuesday to let him keep his job, during a highly unusual hearing that explored whether his conduct had irrevocably damaged his ability to serve on the bench.
His lawyer, David P. Hoose, told the Supreme Judicial Court that Estes has already suffered public humiliation and loss of status since the clinician disclosed the sexual relationship last summer.
Less than 20 feet away sat the clinician, Tammy Cagle, who was flanked by her lawyer, Leonard Kesten, and her teenage daughter. Cagle, who has sued Estes for sexual harassment in federal court, wants Estes off the bench, Kesten said.
“This is a story of a powerful man taking advantage of an employee,” Kesten said after the hearing. “The relationship was very one-sided. It was hardly a love affair.”
Under state law, only the state Legislature and the governor can force a judge off the bench. But the Commission on Judicial Conduct has asked the SJC to censure Estes and suspend him without pay until the Legislature acts.
Read more:
http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/04/judge_thomas_estes_can_never_c.html
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/04/judge_thomas_estes_embroiled_i.html
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/03/citing_willful_judicial_miscon.html
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/columnists/howie_carr/2018/04/carr_the_torrid_tales_of_the_hackerama
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2018/04/22/sexual-misconduct-boston-judge/34140177/
http://nepr.net/post/judges-mayors-casinos-short-list#stream/0
http://nepr.net/post/massachusetts-judge-thomas-estes-facing-two-investigations
http://abcnews.go.com/US/calls-judges-removal-18-year-sexual-assault-defendant/story?id=41639807
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/04/24/sjc-weighing-fate-judge-implicated-courthouse-sexual-relationship/pJgkFJhsWcZjWHJwamFSVN/story.html
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