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Ark. Judge Accused of Inappropriate Behavior With Male Defendants
Ark. Judge Accused of Inappropriate Behavior With Male Defendants
District Court Judge Joseph Boeckmann allegedly reduced sentences in exchange for sex.
Cross County, Ark., Judge Joseph Boeckmann has some serious explaining to do after being accused of pressuring men to have sex with him in exchange for dismissals of charges or reductions in court fines and charges.
Boeckmann has 30 days to respond to the charges, announced Tuesday by the state's Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission, and will be allowed a hearing on the matter, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. It will be difficult to remove the judge -- if the charges are indeed proved true -- unless the state Supreme Court gets involved, as the commission does not have the authority to suspend him.
On the bench since 2009, Boeckmann is accused of using his position to seek out "young Caucasian male litigants." He would allegedly tell offenders to perform "substitutionary sentences" that involved chores at his home. Boeckmann is accused of photographing the men's buttocks as well as soliciting some of them for sex and relationships.
On top of all this, the judge has been accused of having child pornography on his computer -- the state Cyber Crimes Unit is investigating.
