Court recommends Washington County judge’s punishment
SANDERSVILLE, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - We have new information on the Washington County chief judge who was under investigation by the Judicial Qualifications Commission on 58 counts of judicial misconduct.
The Georgia Supreme Court is recommending a 30-day suspension and a public formal reprimand of Judge Robert Reeves published in local legal paper.
He also won’t seek re-election after 2026.
The formal charges were filed on Nov. 16, 2022, alleging he violated the code of judicial conduct.
SUPREME COURT OPINION:
One of the incidents, from 2021, occurred while Reeves was talking to attendees and a man started to leave the courtroom. Reeves then made this comment to the man: “Sir, you’re walking and I’m telling you to be still. Are you really that retarded?” It happened in open court with of the public, of the bar and other court personnel present.
From at least 2016 through 2022, Reeves allegedly engaged in a pattern of improper behavior that, at a minimum, gave the appearance of constituting sexual harassment and/or bias based upon the gender of various females involved in the Middle Judicial Circuit court system.
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The documents allege that included inappropriate with lawyers and stating they should wear bathrobes and bathing suits during virtual hearings.
Another charge is that he participated in a promotional video with The Sunshine House, which regularly has employees testify in the Superior Court of the Middle Judicial Circuit in cases involving child sexual and physical abuse.
In conclusion, the director of the commission wrote to seek disciplinary action for the above-stated violations of the code of judicial conduct.
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In January, Reeves gave his response to the formal charges. He denies most of the allegations or lacks knowledge of most of them ever happening.
A few months later in May of 2023, Reeves filed a motion to dismiss the charges against him. He claims the formal charges fail to state a claim for discipline for habitual intemperance. Reeves also writes that most of the formal charges allege non-judicial conduct and therefore fail to state a claim for discipline for willful misconduct in office.
Two months later in June 2023, Reeves’ motion to dismiss the case against him was denied by the commission. The director writes it’s because the allegations contained in the formal charges, when taken as true, constitute violations of the code of judicial conduct and warrant discipline.
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