Thursday, April 23, 2009
Normally it doesn't take much
To ruin an otherwise distinguished judges career.
Thomas E. Stringer spent more than three decades quietly building his legal career in Florida. He was the first black graduate of his law school. He worked his way onto an appeals court in the Tampa Bay area.Given the lack of movement from Mr. Bybee, one can assume that torture does not rise to the level of strippers in the code of judicial conduct. Or maybe Bybee is proud of his earlier work.
Then last spring, the well-respected, married judge suddenly found his face splashed beside that of a troubled exotic dancer in a kimono.
She went on TV to claim they'd been romantically involved, and that he helped her hide money from creditors, even putting a rent-controlled New York City apartment under his name for her.
Newspaper columns were written. Jokes were made. Stringer's 35-year legal career was tarnished.
"It is axiomatic that 'Judge' and 'Stripper' showing up in a headline is never a good thing, especially if you happen to be the 'Judge,'" then Tampa Tribune columnist Daniel Ruth wrote after the story broke.
Criminal charges are possible, though the FBI declined to comment. The state agency that oversees judges dropped misconduct charges after Stringer, who stepped down in February and draws monthly retirement benefits of $8,069, agreed never to be a judge again.
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