Crime, State Judges

Federal Charges Against Judge Who Allegedly Traded Sex For Help With Traffic Tickets

Here's what not to do...

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Tennessee Judge Cason Moreland

Tennessee Judge Cason Moreland

If true, the allegations against Tennessee judge Cason Moreland can go right to the top of any “what not to do” list on judicial ethics — they are just that outrageous. Moreland was under investigation for running a quid pro quo that let defendants get out of infractions in exchange for sex. Then he doubled down, allegedly bribing a witness to change her story. He was arrested this week on charges of bribery and witness tampering.

According to the indictment, the text messages between the judge and a witness identified only as “Person 1” reveal a tit-for-tat scheme where legal favors were paid for with access, to, well tits. From the complaint:

Moreland: “Your fees; fines and court costs are taken care of! You now officially owe me!! Haha.”

Her response: “I cannot thank you enough!!! And yes I definitely owe you!”

As reported by Law.com, the exchange gets even more explicit:

They planned to meet at a bar for drinks, the complaint said. But on her way there, she was stopped by the Nashville police and detained for driving without a license. She quickly notified the judge, who asked for the officer’s name and called his supervisor to request that she be allowed to continue on without a ticket. The reason given, the complaint said: She was on her way to a meeting in the judge’s chambers. The officer allowed her to drive away. She met the judge for drinks as planned. They did go to his chambers afterward—for sex.

A few days later, she texted him her gratitude again, to which the indictment said he responded that he had “just used [his] superpowers” then added that his “desk still has butt marks on it!!”

Then when the investigation was closing in, Moreland allegedly used burner phones and intermediaries to pay the witness over $6,000 to recant her statement. In a press conference, acting U.S. Attorney Jack Smith of the Middle District of Tennessee put on Captain Obvious’s hat and called the alleged actions by the judge “some of the most egregious abuses of power that I have ever seen.”

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Judge Faces Federal Charges Alleging Sex with Defendants, Bribery [Law.com]

headshotKathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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