The Houston Chronicle has the breaking news that U.S. District Judge Sam Kent of Galveston has been indicted, which is not a good career move for a federal judge.
Being indicted “on charges of abusive sexual contact and aggravated sexual abuse” just doesn’t sound good on the ol’ resume.
Kent, a hot-tempered judge who ruled the Galveston courthouse like a private fiefdom, has been the focus of a long investigation into charges he had (perhaps drunkenly) manhandled a former case manager.
He becomes the first federal judge ever indicted on federal sex charges, the paper reported.
Kent was reprimanded a year ago by the judicial council of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
For attorneys who’ve had to grovel before Kent, or endure yet another tongue-lashing, it’s got to be a day of schadenfreude. Not to mention it may make one day closer the time when Galveston gets a replacement judge to handle their docket.
— Richard Connelly
This article appears in Aug 28 – Sep 3, 2008.