A federal judge based in the Southeastern U.S. had an extramarital relationship with a high-ranking police officer, including sex in the judge’s chambers that was overheard by court staff, a judicial disciplinary investigation has found. The judge initially made misrepresentations to the circuit’s chief judge about the conduct but was sanctioned only with a private reprimand—the lightest disciplinary measure available—and remains in office, according to an order issued in February 2026 by the Judicial Council of the 11th Judicial Circuit and affirmed last week by the national committee overseeing judicial conduct.
The council found “that the judge had a romantic and sexual relationship with a high-ranking police officer that occurred in the judge’s chambers and was overheard by court staff,” according to the order. The judge “initially made misrepresentations to the circuit’s chief judge about his or her actions,” the order stated, without identifying the judge or the specific court.
The judge’s name and the court location—whether in Alabama, Florida, or Georgia—were not disclosed. The Associated Press, which first reported the order, was unable to independently confirm the judge’s identity. The Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability of the Judicial Conference of the United States affirmed the council’s decision in late May 2026, and the reprimand is to remain confidential.
Federal judges serve lifetime appointments under Article III of the Constitution and can only be removed by impeachment by the House of Representatives and conviction by the Senate. Lesser sanctions—censure, public reprimand, private reprimand, or temporary withholding of new cases—can be imposed by judicial councils or the national committee. The private reprimand in this case is not recorded on the public docket and does not prevent the judge from hearing cases.
The AP report noted that the 11th Circuit’s chief judge, William Pryor, oversees the circuit’s judicial council, but the council’s composition in discipline matters is different from the court’s regular ruling panels. A spokesperson for the circuit did not immediately respond to a request for comment.