A judge in eastern Arkansas resigned on Monday rather than face almost certain removal from office for some of the most egregious misconduct ever uncovered on an American bench. Dozens of people have come forward claiming that the now-former judge traded sexual favors for reduced sentences. Fortunately, he could still face state and/or federal criminal charges.
Last summer, word got out that the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission opened an investigation into Cross County District Judge Joe Boeckmann amid charges that he used his office for personal gain. It turned out that the commission had begun looking into Boeckmann in 2014, when a state Department of Human Services investigator had gotten word that Boeckmann hadn’t recused himself from a case involving the sister of a man with whom he’d had a long-term relationship.
Cross County is a mostly rural county in northeastern Arkansas; the nearest city of any size is West Memphis, almost an hour east. At first glance, it seemed like a classic case of good ol’ boyism run amok. But it turned out to be far worse than that, as this story from KLRT in Little Rock shows.
In November, the commission charged Boeckmann with more than a dozen ethics violations dating back to when he first took up his gavel in 2009. Most chillingly, Boeckmann traded sexual favors with a number of young male defendants in return for reduced sentences. He frequently awarded “substitutionary sentences” to young men whose cases came before him. These sentences took the form of picking up trash along roads or at Boeckmann’s house. In either case, Boeckmann took lewd pictures of the defendants and kept them for his personal use.
Boeckmann was also accused of using his power as a judge to start sexual relationships with several male defendants. The Commission also uncovered evidence that Boeckmann had child pornography on his computer. The commission found Boeckmann’s misconduct so egregious that it referred its evidence to a special state prosecutor.
In January, the commission filed additional charges spelling out even more instances of Boeckmann’s debauchery. One defendant faced a $500 fine for expired tags, but Boeckmann traded that fine for several bags of canned goods–supposedly to donate to charity. When the defendant brought the cans to Boeckmann’s house, Boeckmann then took a picture of the defendant’s backside while he was bending over as if he was picking up the cans, and then offered him $300 to pose like Michelangelo’s “David.”
Other defendants recalled Boeckmann taking pictures of them as “proof” of their community service. Another entered into a “personal employment and sexual relationship” with Boeckmann in which he performed maintenance at Boeckmann’s rental properties and traded sexual favors. Boeckmann entered into similar arrangements with other defendants as well.
Boeckmann vigorously denied any wrongdoing, and vowed to fight the charges. However, on Monday morning, Boeckmann resigned and accepted a lifetime ban from ever holding public office or employment at any level in Arkansas again.
According to a raft of information released by the commission later that day, the commission was prepared to file a third complaint spelling out more charges had Boeckmann not resigned. Among other things, it was in the process of recovering some 4,500 pictures of young men, some of whom were naked and appeared to have been paddled. It had also obtained evidence of misconduct dating back to the 1980s, when he was a deputy prosecutor. According to commission chairman David Sachar, the investigation spelled out “the worst case of judicial misconduct in Arkansas history.” In a colossal understatement, he called Boeckmann a “criminal predator” who abused his gavel “to feed his corrupt desires.”
This is just the beginning of Boeckmann’s troubles. He faces at least one active criminal investigation; Sachar says that the commission turned its findings to state and federal prosecutors, as well as the Arkansas State Police. Take your pick–deprivation of rights under color of law, possession of child pornography, public corruption, sexual assault, slave labor, and many more. Additionally, three of Boeckmann’s victims sued him on Tuesday for sexual misconduct.
It may be a few years before this goes to trial, but whoever tries him needs to find a way to keep this monster locked up for the rest of his natural life before he goes before the Supreme Judge for whatever further punishment he may deserve.
