Judge’s ouster sought
2004-06-24
By John Greiner
The Oklahoman
The state attorney general filed a petition Wednesday seeking removal of Sapulpa District Judge Donald D. Thompson for improper conduct, including genital-related acts in court.
Petition for removal
Attorney General Drew Edmondson wrote to the trial division of the state Court on the Judiciary that Thompson’s conduct occurred before court employees.
The petition alleges Thompson, 57, placed himself in a position where his court reporter viewed him on a number of occasions during court proceedings. It also alleges a court reporter saw the judge masturbate on a number of occasions.
The trial division of the state Court on the Judiciary presides over complaints against state judges and has the authority to remove them from office.
Edmondson said he didn’t think information alleged in the ouster petition against Thompson would result in overturning any trials where Thompson presided.
“I think it would take more than what was shown in our petition to upset any of the trial results of that judge. A person seeking to set aside any of those judgments would have to show judicial inattention prejudiced their client,” Edmondson said.
Thompson could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but did deny the allegations during an investigation, Edmondson’s petition stated.
Among witnesses listed in Edmondson’s petition are court personnel and police officers, including the Sapulpa police chief, who were present at a criminal trial in Thompson’s court.
Edmondson said Thompson violated the code of judicial ethics that requires high standards of conduct, promoting public confidence in the integrity of the judiciary and performing duties impartially and diligently including the requirement to be dignified to litigants, jurors, witnesses, lawyers and others.
Edmondson also said Thompson committed an offense involving moral turpitude.
“The actions of Judge Thompson’s in using a penis pump during trial where court personnel, witnesses and juries could either see or hear his actions at the least, constitutes conduct against good morals,” Edmondson’s petition stated. In September 2000, Lisa K. Foster, court reporter for Thompson for 15 years, first started hearing a noise that “sounded like a blood pressure cuff being pumped up,” the petition by Edmondson stated. Foster told investigators she witnessed the judge’s sexual behavior “fifteen to twenty times.”
The judge fired her after hearing she had cooperated with the investigation into his misconduct, Edmondson said.
Thompson admitted the penis pump was under the bench during a criminal trial on Aug. 22, 2003, and at other times but denied using the pump, Edmondson’s petition stated.
“He testified the pump was a gag gift from a friend,” the petition stated.
Other witnesses listed in Edmondson’s petition are Sapulpa Police Chief James Wall, Capt. William Brant Green of the Sapulpa Police Department and Sergeant Michael Reed of the Sapulpa Police Department, who were in the judge’s court during a criminal trial in 2003.
Thompson served six years in the state House of Representatives starting in 1975.
Link to the Petition
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