A Federal judge was arrested last Friday in Atlanta according to the local paper. It's a fairly shocking story, as he was arrested in possession of a gun while buying cocaine for a prostitute with whom he had a long-term relationship. Putting aside the stereotype that we don't often imagine 67 year old men crushing and insufflating prescription drugs and buying cocaine on the street, judicial misconduct is fairly rare.
Federal judges are in a pretty lofty position, and committing a violent felony like bringing a gun to a drug deal is a pretty good way to lose it. I doubt that the judge will stick around to get impeached, but it's certainly a possibility. This probably breaches the standard for impeachment. This is a good reminder that judges are people too.
Sex, drug, and violence scandals ar not terribly uncommon among legislators, but judges are generally less likely to be enmeshed in a scandal such as this. This may be because legislators are more public figures so people recognize them when they break the law. Legislators may break the laws more because they have less training in the law. The stereotype of politicians is the egomaniacal person who believes they are invincible, and this may have some basis in the types of scandals that they are involved in. Or judges may manipulate the judicial system to avoid prosecution. This last possibility doesn't seem right, but it is a possibility.
A judge actually was impeached earlier this year on corruption charges. That is the type of crime one expects from a judge.
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