Three judges, three scandals and new scrutiny of judicial accountability

The Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta in 2023. A Republican lawmaker filed articles of impeachment Tuesday against an Atlanta judge. Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

In Georgia, a Republican lawmaker filed articles of impeachment Tuesday against an Atlanta judge who allegedly had sex in her chambers and then denied it to investigators, only to change course when they developed evidence otherwise.

In Idaho, a federal appeals court judge is under internal investigation after a parking lot incident in which he allegedly smashed the eyeglasses of a fellow motorist.

And in Michigan, a federal district court judge pleaded not guilty to violating the terms of his probation, after he allegedly failed to undergo drug and alcohol tests following a conviction for driving under the influence.

Federal judges tasked with upholding the law now stand accused of skirting it in these three high-profile incidents this week.

"When judges act badly, even in their private lives, it reflects badly on everyone else," said Jeremy Fogel, a retired judge who now leads the Berkeley Judicial Institute, which works to promote an ethical and independent judiciary. "The focus in all three of these cases has to be the larger reputation of the judiciary and not just these three individual people."

The code of conduct for federal judges requires them to uphold the integrity of the judiciary and avoid impropriety — or even the appearance of improper behavior — "in all activities."

The judiciary's system for policing misconduct is coming under fresh scrutiny in light of the recent incidents playing out across three different states.