Robin Free
John Robin Free was a judge of the 18th Judicial District, Division B in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.[1] He was elected to this position on September 21, 1996.[2] Free retired on July 13, 2017.[3]
In July 2016, the Louisiana Supreme Court ordered Free to serve a one-year suspension without pay for judicial misconduct. For more on this story, see below.
Biography
Free received his J.D. from the Southern University Law Center in 1989.[4]
Elections
2014
See also: Louisiana judicial elections, 2014
Free ran for re-election to the 18th Judicial District.
As an unopposed candidate, he was automatically re-elected without appearing on the ballot.
[5]
Noteworthy events
Suspended for misconduct (2016)
In 2016, the Louisiana Judiciary Commission recommended that Judge Free be suspended without pay for one year for various instances where he made inappropriate comments, a case where he stopped the deposition of witness whose testimony was favorable to the defendant, and for putting two defendants in jail although they had not had the chance to speak in their defense.[6]
The charges stemmed from the following incidents. In 2011, Free walked into a room where the families of vehicular homicide victims were meeting with prosecutors. Free allegedly criticized the defense attorney in the case by saying that the attorney hadn't wanted Free as the judge because of the judge's reputation of putting people in jail. He also told one of the victim's mother, "I would have put him in jail for you."[6] The commission stated that Free should have recused himself from the case after making such comments in front of the family members. Free said he went into the room to get coffee and hadn't been aware of a meeting going on inside.[6]
In the other incidents, which occurred on September 12, 2011, Free was accused of putting defendants in separate cases in jail without allowing them to speak in their defense. One man found guilty of not wearing a seat belt had refused to pay the $25 fine. During an exchange, the man told Free, "I thought, you know — it was my idea that the courts are the safeguard of the people’s rights, the ones that’s supposed to turn back the government when it oversteps its bounds. And I was hoping that you might see your way clear for that, but apparently not." Free held the man in contempt and sentenced him to five days in jail. The commission said that Free acted inappropriately by never warning the defendant that he was acting in contempt. Later in the same day, Free sentenced a woman to 15 days in jail on contempt charges. He had found her guilty of disturbing the peace because something she said after he made his ruling. The commission said he did not give her the opportunity to explain herself.[6]
Other charges stemmed from comments he made to female defendants and during proceedings in domestic violence cases. Free said, "It appears running my mouth has gotten me in trouble to the extent ... that I could even given the appearance about disrespect of women who are abused. It’s not what I stand for. It’s not who I am."[6]
Free appeared before the Louisiana Supreme Court on May 3, 2016.[7] In June, the supreme court ordered Free to be suspended from the bench for one year without pay. Free was also required to pay $11,098 in fines to the judiciary commission.[8]
Suspended for misconduct (2014)
In October 2014, after an investigation into Free's alleged improprieties, the Office of Special Counsel proposed that Free be suspended without pay for one year. The Louisiana Judiciary Commission recommended a suspension of 30 days without pay and a fine of $7,000.[9] Among the commission's findings were allegations that Free accepted an all-expenses-paid trip by an attorney whose client had just won a million-dollar settlement in Free's courtroom, and that Free had failed to recuse himself from a class-action suit where his mother had a potential financial interest. Free, who had been in office since 1997, was admonished by the commission which stated: "Judge Free’s actions have harmed the integrity of and respect for the judiciary... [he] should have been more familiar with his ethical obligations."[10]
On December 9, 2014, the Louisiana Supreme Court ordered Free suspended for 30 days without pay and ordered him to pay $6,723.64 in reimbursement to the Louisiana Judiciary Commission. Free was found in violation of canons 1, 2, 2A, 3A(4), 3A(6), and 6B(2) of the Louisiana Code of Judicial Conduct and Article V, § 25(C) of the Louisiana Constitution for accepting an all-expenses-paid trip from an attorney, who had won a million-dollar settlement in his courtroom.[11][12]
Recent news
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See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Office of the District Attorney of the 18th Judicial District, "18th Judicial District Judges," accessed November 25, 2014
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Official Election Results 9/21/1996," accessed November 25, 2014
- ↑ WBRZ, "Suspended 18th Judicial District judge announces retirement," June 23, 2017
- ↑ Southern University Law Center: E-News, "2011 Alumni Round-Up Honorees Express Their Appreciation to SULC," April 2011
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "November 4, 2014 General Election Candidates," accessed August 25, 2014
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 The Advocate, "Suspensions recommended for two 18th JDC judges; Louisiana Supreme Court to hear cases in May," April 5, 2016
- ↑ WBRZ.com, "District Judges face Supreme Court for inappropriate behavior," May 3, 2016
- ↑ The Advocate, "Louisiana Supreme Court suspends two district court judges over misconduct," June 29, 2016
- ↑ The Advocate, "District judge faces sanctions for trip, other alleged improprieties," November 4, 2014
- ↑ The Advocate, "Judiciary commission recommends 30-day suspension of West Baton Rouge judge for all-expenses paid hunting trip," accessed November 25, 2014
- ↑ Supreme Court of Louisiana, "In re: Judge J. Robin Free," December 9, 2014
- ↑ ABA Journal, "Judge is suspended for 30 days over trip to lawyer's hunting ranch after $1.2M case was settled," December 10, 2014
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