It appears some things do not stay in Vegas. State District Judge Eugenio S. Mathis, 58, of Las Vegas, N.M., has resigned from the bench after being accused of sextexting his wife from the bench as well as other alleged misconduct. He has also agreed never to hold a judicial position again.
Mathis was also accused of using disparaging or insulting language with parties, other judges, personnel, and even his wife. He denied all of the allegations, including that he engaged in “communications of a sexual nature” with his wife during the workday, “including intimations that he had or would be having sexual relations with her during the workday and/or on court premises.”
Many of the text messages, however, seem pretty mild and routine like “No lie! I’m on the verge of going postal.” Another says “One more hearing. Are you ready to go home?? “i’VE BEEN READY SINCE 8:05″
The court says that such conversation cannot take place over the state court’s instant messaging service in violation of a computer and Internet use policy. Yet, it is extremely common for most people to use their work computers and email systems for personal notes and chats. I am not sure that such a violation would warrant removal as opposed to a reprimand.
However, he is also accused of not cooperating with other judges and making improper comments about cases. Perhaps the most serious is that he made comments showing bias or prejudice to jurors. Yet, Mathis was given high marks from the bar during his service of the bench.
Source: Abq Journal
The bar and Martindale-Hubbard, frauds
I didn’t know texting your wife was illegal? I can understand if he was doing it during trials or hearings, but the other issues are a different story.. I wonder like bettykath why most of the source article was redacted? Something doesn’t smell right.
I went to the link to read the full article. All is redacted except the first paragraph.
Wasn’t this a priviledged communication between spouses?
According to various court publications on the federal process for complaining about judges what they do as judges doesn’t count as misconduct only what they do outside of work.
Any judge who would fire himself for less than heinous behavior is better than average for the country. Maybe he should take a sabatical, get some helpful counseling according to his beliefs, & go back refreshed & able. There is a little booklet called The Way To Happiness that would help him no end. (commonsense guide to living, not religious, available in most all libraries & bookstores)
You have, no doubt, figured out by now that “Las Vegas, New Mexico” in not in Nevada
sounds like he must have gotten on somebodies bad side. Sexting is wife would hardly be grounds for removal even if it were against policy (its pretty stupid since those probably can be obtained via FOIA but if stupidity were grounds there would be a lot more unemployment!). Not sure just how abuse he was from the bench. The whole thing needs more detail
Same county in New Mexico where that guy was locked up for 22 months?
It sounds a little like former federal judge Edward Nottingham who ultimately left the bench after a prostitute went to the 10th Circuit and said he asked her to lie about their relationship. He was supposedly reprimanded for watching porno during his trials so I guess the idea is that he wasn’t paying attention. For years, some lawyers claimed he was fair others that he was abusive. A lawyer I met in Wisconsin said that Nottingham deliberately scheduled hearings in the early AM to force him to spend the night and increase his cost and inconvenience. People acted as if his abusive behavior of lawyers was OK and then he amped it up with pro se litigants.
Say what… More is going on….
Well, sexting his wife is not even racy.
It is the other allegations of judicial impropriety that should be more well developed in the story line.