A federal judge serving in Atlanta has received a private reprimand after an investigation confirmed allegations of an extramarital affair with a high-ranking law enforcement officer that took place within judicial chambers. The relationship, which occurred at the Richard B. Russell Federal Building, has prompted the Atlanta Police Department to launch its own investigation into whether the officer involved is among their ranks.
The misconduct came to light in September 2025 when a law clerk reported witnessing inappropriate activity between the judge and a uniformed police officer in the judge’s office during business hours. According to the complaint, sexual activity occurred on multiple occasions while staff members were present in the chambers and within earshot.
The 11th Circuit Judicial Council identified the officer as having served with their department since 1998 and currently holding the rank of division commander. While the specific law enforcement agency was not disclosed, the officer’s high-ranking status has raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest.
Chief U.S. Circuit Judge William Pryor Jr. appointed a special committee to investigate the allegations. The investigation was thorough and included interviews with six former law clerks, examination of security footage and visitor logs, and analysis of emails and text messages. Investigators even conducted acoustic testing in similarly configured chambers to determine whether sounds from within could be heard by staff seated outside. The committee also arranged forensic testing of furniture within the judge’s office.
The investigative report, issued in December 2025, confirmed that the judge had engaged in judicial misconduct by conducting an extramarital affair with the law enforcement officer and having sexual relations in chambers during business hours. The investigation also uncovered additional violations, including attendance at a partisan political event and making false statements during the initial stages of the inquiry.
The judge initially denied the allegations when first confronted by investigators, characterizing the claims as “outrageous” and “baseless.” The judge suggested that the law clerk who filed the complaint was retaliating for being criticized about their work performance. However, the judge later retracted these statements and apologized for the deception, ultimately cooperating with the investigation.
Regarding the political event, investigators found that the judge had attended a campaign mixer hosted by a district attorney’s office where the judge had previously worked. While this violated rules prohibiting judges from attending political organization events, the committee determined it was an isolated incident rather than a pattern of partisan political involvement.
The two-year affair occurred during a period when the officer’s department was involved in numerous criminal and civil cases within the district. However, after reviewing case assignments, the committee concluded that the relationship developed by chance and did not create any direct conflicts of interest in specific cases.
As part of the remedial measures, the judge agreed to issue formal apology letters to the six law clerks interviewed during the investigation. Additional sanctions include forfeiture of any future eligibility to serve as chief judge and an indefinite prohibition from serving on Judicial Conference committees.
The Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability of the Judicial Conference upheld the private reprimand last week, finding the disciplinary measures appropriate given the circumstances. The committee cited the judge’s otherwise exemplary service record and assessment that similar misconduct was unlikely to recur as factors in their decision to handle the matter privately.
While the investigation also examined allegations of creating a hostile work environment, investigators found insufficient evidence to substantiate claims of judicial misconduct regarding staff treatment, despite acknowledging that the chambers workplace had become “extremely uncomfortable and troubling for clerks.”
The Northern District of Georgia currently has 13 federal judges serving on the bench. The identity of the judge involved in this matter has not been publicly disclosed.
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