Jefferson Parish Judge Removed

Written by WGNO ABC26 News Friday, 06 November 2009 11:15

ABC26 News

The Louisiana Supreme Court has ordered the
removal of a Jefferson Parish judge accused of letting her
relationships with a fellow judge and a plaintiff's attorney
dictate her decision in a case.

The court's ruling Friday cites evidence that District Judge
Joan Benge awarded money to a man who had sued over a traffic
accident even though she privately said the suit had no merit.

FBI agents investigating broader allegations of judicial
misconduct taped a 2001 conversation between Benge and former state
District Judge Robert Bodenheimer in which he lobbied her to rule
in favor of the plaintiff, whose lawyer was one of Benge's campaign
donors.

Bodenheimer was one of more than a dozen defendants convicted in
the FBI's "Wrinkled Robe" investigation.

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