A Middle Georgia chief judge has made sexist and degrading remarks to lawyers and court personnel inside and outside of his courtroom, the state judicial watchdog agency has alleged.
Chief Superior Court Judge Robert Reeves of the Middle Judicial Circuit is accused of 58 violations of the code of judicial conduct. Those include allegations he also asked a municipal court judge to go easy on an acquaintance who had pending traffic citations.
Reeves’ attorney, Lester Tate, said Thursday, “We intend to mount a vigorous defense at any attempt to remove him from the bench.”
“I think Judge Reeves himself would tell you he’s made comments he shouldn’t have made or attempted humorous remarks that weren’t funny or in some cases offended people,” Tate said. “But I don’t believe there is anything in this complaint that rises to the level of seeking the removal of an elected Superior Court judge.”
Tate added that dozens of lawyers and litigants who have appeared before Reeves have sent letters to the state Judicial Qualifications Commission praising Reeves’ work as a judge.
Reeves has sat on the bench since 2007. The middle circuit is comprised of Candler, Emanuel, Jefferson, Toombs and Washington counties.
From 2016 through this year, the complaint alleges, Reeves engaged in a pattern of improper behavior that, “at a minimum,” constituted sexual harassment and gender bias against various women involved in the circuit’s court system.
On one occasion, when Reeves saw a female employee of the public defender’s office walking down the street outside her office, he whistled at the woman, identified only as J.C. in the complaint, and said, “What’s a pretty girl like you doing walking alone?”
Reeves regularly calls J.C. “Miss America” and “regularly touches J.C.’s shoulders, rubs her back and attempts to hug her” in a way that makes her uncomfortable, the complaint alleged.
When J.C. brought documents to Reeves to sign, he’d say, “If you smile, I’ll sign it,” the complaint said, adding that J.C. became so uncomfortable with the judge she began having a male investigator accompany her to his chambers.
In July 2021, the complaint said, Reeves told a female public defender, identified as B.P., that she needed to decide if she wanted to be a full-time mother or a full-time attorney because she couldn’t be both.
On one occasion after B.P. had returned from a family vacation, Reeves overheard her tell an investigator her husband’s back was injured. Reeves then interjected, “If you didn’t do the stuff you see on TV ... you know one foot on the nightstand and one foot way over here, he wouldn’t hurt his back,” the complaint said.
In 2020, during a virtual meeting with the Jefferson County drug court staff, Reeves commented that he expected women to wear bathrobes and bathing suits during virtual hearings, the complaint said. Earlier this year, when Reeves passed a female employee in the Emanuel County courthouse parking lot, he made a sound to get the woman’s attention and said, “You have really nice legs,” the complaint said.
Last year, Reeves was presiding in his Toombs County courtroom and had asked attendees to remain seated until he finished giving instructions. According to the complaint, when one man got up to leave, Reeves said, “You’re walking and I’m telling you to be still. Are you really that retarded?”
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