Driven to Extremes: Maryland Judge Accused of Flattening Tire of Woman in Courthouse Parking Lot

Charles Circuit Court Judge Robert C. Nalley has been accused of letting the air out of a car of a part-time cleaning woman who works at the courthouse. Two officers from the county jail insist that they saw the judge let the air out of a 2004 Toyota Corolla that was parked outside of the La Plata courthouse at 3:45 pm in the afternoon. One claims to have a picture of the act.

Nalley is the county’s former state’s attorney.

Jean Washington, the 51-year-old cleaning lady, said that a sheriff’s deputy warned her “Jean, you need to move your car. Judge Nalley’s going to let the air out of it.”

One article says that judge has confessed to the act. He is quoted as saying “Absolutely, I plead guilty . . .I noticed the car is not there for the first time in several days.”

Here is Nalley’s background from the court website:

Assistant State’s Attorney, Deputy State’s Attorney, Charles County, 1971-75. State’s
Attorney, Charles County, 1975-80. Chair, District Advisory Board, District 4, Public
Defender System, 1983-. Administrative Judge, District Court of Maryland, District 4,
Charles County, 1983-88 (Associate Judge, 1981-83). Attended parochial schools in Charles and St. Mary’s Counties; Gonzaga College High School, Washington, DC; Spring Hill College, Mobile, Alabama, B.S., 1965; Georgetown University School of Law, J.D., 1969. Admitted to Maryland Bar, 1969; District of Columbia Bar, 1970. Served in U.S. Army, 1969-71. Member, American, Maryland State and Charles County Bar Associations.

She moved the car to a more distant spot but was later told that her back tire was flat.

[UPDATE: Nalley has now resigned]

[Second update: Nalley has accepted a citation for tampering with a vehicle, here]

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