As regular ATL readers will recall, Judge Samuel B. Kent (S.D. Texas) is currently on leave from the bench (although still collecting his $165,200 salary). The Fifth Circuit suspended him after allegations of what it described as sexual harassment.
But Judge Kent’s troubles may not be over yet. From the Galveston County Daily News (via How Appealing):
A woman who has accused U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent of unwanted sexual touching will have her case reheard by a disciplinary panel of the 5th Judicial Circuit, her attorney, Rusty Hardin, said late Monday.
Late that afternoon, Hardin gave the panel summaries of interviews his team did of 20 people who have had contact with Kent. Hardin claims those interviews show that Kent has misbehaved toward women since shortly after he was named to the federal bench in Galveston in the early 1990s.
Hardin said he and his client are asking that the panel refer the matter to the Judicial Council of the United States with a recommendation that Kent be impeached.
Additional discussion, plus a reader poll, after the jump.
AI Is Reshaping Legal Practice—But Tools Aren’t The Real Differentiator.
Explore the mindset, cultural shifts, and training strategies that define the AI‑savvy lawyer, revealing why human judgment, standardized competence, and integrated learning—not technology alone—will shape the future of the profession.
To refresh your memory about the most recent allegations against Judge Kent:
The 5th Circuit in September suspended and reprimanded Kent after The Daily news made public a complaint filed against him by his case manager, Cathy McBroom. In its order, the 5th Circuit said only that McBroom had complained of “sexual harassment.”
But her mother and a close friend said McBroom complained of more serious behavior. McBroom said that, when she was in Kent’s office on a Friday afternoon in March, Kent pushed up her shirt and bra, put his mouth on her breast and pushed her head toward his crotch.
We’re in a very poll-ish mood today. What do you think of L’Affaire Kent?
Filevine’s New Legal AI Platform LOIS Turns AI Into A True Legal Coworker
Legal work isn’t slowing down, and the firms that win won’t be the ones working harder — they’ll be the ones working smarter.
Another hearing for Kent’s accuser [Galveston County Daily News]
Kent may face worse hurdles in sex misconduct case [Houston Chronicle]
Woman seeks more punishment for judge accused of sex misconduct [AP]
(Gavel bang for all three links: How Appealing.)
Earlier: Prior ATL coverage of Judge Samuel B. Kent (scroll down)