Former Nashville Judge Accused of Stealing Drug-Court Money
If this article starts to sound like another corrupt judge story, that's because it is.
It is actually the second act in the tale of ex-Judge Cason "Casey" Moore, who was indicted last year on obstruction of justice charges after he allegedly traded his judicial favors for sexual ones. Now he has been charged with stealing drug court money to pay for sex (because judicial favors weren't enough?).
Seriously, these are all allegations. But really seriously, when are the stories about bad judges going to go away?
More Moreland
Moreland, according to a superseding indictment, allegedly stole $6,000 from drug court coffers to pay a woman to change her story about his alleged sexual misconduct. Prosecutors said it stemmed from the original allegations that he helped her avoid paying traffic fines in exchange for sex.
They cited text messages between the Nashville judge and the woman that chronicled how he did it. "Just used my super powers!!" he texted. "My desk still has butt marks on it!!"
After the woman told her story to a local news station, the indictment says, Moreland tried to have the woman arrested on drug charges. He also offered to pay her to change her story.
By then, the FBI was involved and the rest is history -- like the judge's career. Except for the update: the judge had allegedly been stealing money from drug court for years.
Less Bad Judgment
There's more to his story, but it's just more of the same. And it starts to sound like a parade of bad judges in the news recently.
- O. Joseph Boeckmann, a former Arkansas judge, was sentenced to five years for granting leniency to defendants in exchange for sexual favors.
- Paul Michael Pozonky, an ex-judge from Pennsylvania, was jailed and later disbarred for stealing drugs from an evidence locker.
- Alex Kozinski, an appeals court judge, retired amidst an investigation into sexual misconduct towards his law clerks.
At least Chief Justice John Roberts has promised to do something about it in the federal courts. Following the Kozinski disaster, Roberts said the administrative office of the courts will "evaluate standards of conduct and procedures for investigating and correcting inappropriate behavior."
In the meantime, the #MeToo movement has been calling out Justice Clarence Thomas for alleged sexual misconduct that surfaced during his confirmation hearings. It's an old story, but it's not going away.
Related Resources:
- Roberts Promises Evaluation of the Judiciary's Sexual Misconduct Policies (FindLaw's Supreme Court Blog)
- 3 Ways Lawyers and Law Students Can Be Less Cynical (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
- Students of Failed Law School Can Get Loans Discharged (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)