Federal Criminal Defense Blog : Georgia Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer & Attorney : Gillen Withers & Lake Law Firm : White Collar Crime, RICO, Trial : Atlanta, Savannah, GA

The Houston Chronicle reported Friday that convicted District Court Judge Samuel Kent finally resigned from his position as a United States District Court Judge effective at the end of this month. Kent was convicted by guilty plea of obstructing an investigation into his conduct. At the core of Kent’s criminal conduct was his predatory sexual abuse of two women who worked for the court.

Kent had earlier offered to resign in June 2010, but hearing that, the House quickly voted to impeach him. Kent had continued to collect his salary of $174,000 per year even though he began serving his 33 month sentence earlier this month. Kent could only be removed by his own resignation, or impeachment. Angered by Kent's arrogance in submitting his resignation for a year down the road, the Senate was moving forward with impeachment.

The Chronicle reports that Kent handed a one sentence resignation letter to Senate officials who showed up at his federal prison last week.

So ends a case that demonstrated all too well that the judiciary is unable to police itself. However, the case also demonstrates that the courage and suffering of two citizens can be redeemed with a measure of justice in our society.

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Defrocked District Court Judge Sam Kent resigned this week. Showing that he truly has no shame, Kent made his resignation effective June of 2010, so he can continue drawing his annual salary of $174,000 while he sits in a federal prison! According to the Houston Chronicle, Kent’s lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, showing a tin ear for the ensuing public outcry, said that he chose the June 1, 2010 effective date for the resignation because that is how long impeachment proceedings will take.

Impeachment proceedings began this week before the House Judiciary Committee. Members of Congress have indicated that they will not put up with Kent’s further corruption of the process. Sen. John Cornyn, R-San Antonio, said the judge “does not deserve another paycheck from American taxpayers.” Kent “betrayed the public trust, broke the law and trashed the oath that he swore to uphold,” Cornyn told the Chronicle.

To read the true depravity of Kent’s actions his victims’ statements to the House are posted here and here. It is still disturbing to me that in the face of the evidence, the Fifth Circuit Judicial Council only reprimanded this man who was abusing his position and sexually assaulting his staff and referred to the evidence as “alleg[ed] sexual harassment.”
 

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It is almost exactly two years since a courageous former case manager initiated judicial misconduct proceedings against United States District Court Judge Samuel Kent of Texas. The Fifth Circuit Judicial Council then covered up Judge Kent’s criminal sexual conduct with an order of reprimand for what it termed alleged “sexual harassment.”  Judge Kent's subsequent plea of guilty to obstruction of justice has, apparently, lent that Judicial Council a renewed sense of justice as they have now entered an order recommending Judge Kent for impeachment.

The Houston Chronicle also reports that Fifth Circuit Chief Judge Edith Jones in a letter denying Judge Kent’s request for disabled status that would have preserved his salary of $174,000 wrote that “Kent has forfeited his claim to such status by pleading guilty to a felony.” Kent begins serving his 33 month term of imprisonment next month, but continues drawing his salary while Congress dithers over when to initiate impeachment proceedings.

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