Watkins now faces five charges from the Judicial Investigation Commission, including additional videos showing abusive treatment of other litigants. In addition to the Hage outburst, Watkins is accused of:
• Challenging a mother’s assertion that she got pregnant by accident by saying “Well, honey, it ain’t an accident. You don’t get them off of toilet seats.” He also described the father as someone who “got into some dumb shit” and he said that he didn’t want to spend time determining “who was the biggest jackass in the operation.”
• Telling a bailiff to remove a litigant from the courtroom and “take his ass into custody.”
• Telling a woman she was “shooting off [her] fat mouth” and “Shut up, you stupid woman.”
• Refusing to recuse himself in a divorce case in a letter to the litigant that said, “Every other witness describes you as rude, obnoxious, loud, unprofessional and generally acting like the south end of a north-bound horse. I choose to believe them.”
Watkins was served with the charges last week. The charges undermine Watkins’ claim that his infamous outburst at Hage for his alleged involvement in the publication of pictures of the judge’s house in the newspaper.
Watkins apologized for using “earthy language” but insists that it is done “to make a point.” The question of course is the point. For the Judiciary Disciplinary Counsel the point has more to do with Watkins’ temperament and his suitability for the bench.
Source: Daily Mail as first seen on ABA Journal