Let the prosecution rest, Judge Henderson. Stop guessing sizes, Judge Soderstrom. Pause the pump, Judge Thompson.
We officially have one less perverted, sex-crazed judge – who also likes to shoot guns at motorists and relatives – working in the Oklahoma judicial system!
Earlier this week, Garfield County Judge Brian Lovell announced he’s stepping down from the bench – the dignified place where he’s issued countless court rulings, prison sentences, and lewd text messages to his court bailiffs since he first put on his robe in 2011.
Via The Oklahoman:
A judge accused of two drive-by shootings and sexual misconduct resigned Monday, effective immediately…
He was accused at the Court on the Judiciary of having affairs with two female bailiffs that included sexual liaisons at the courthouse. He also was accused of showing favoritism to an attorney, sealing a criminal case without justification, lying to investigators and other misconduct.
He still faces criminal charges in Texas and Oklahoma over the shooting incidents.
Yeah, I guess you can’t blame the guy for resigning. I’ll never forget the time I “resigned” as a sacker at Albertsons after I was caught on video stealing a pack of Lunchables.
“Patrick. Mr. Peak needs to see you in his office.”
“It’s okay. I resign.”
When I submitted my resignation, the excuse/lie I gave was that I could no longer work school nights. I wonder what Lovell told them?
Lovell told the governor he was leaving office early for health reasons. He has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a rare brain disorder that can cause personality changes.
"The disease that I have been diagnosed with is progressive, there is no known cure, it can only be medically managed until death," he wrote in his two-page resignation letter. "It has been my honor and privilege to serve the people of the State of Oklahoma."
Yep, he provided a doctor's note saying he has dementia. If only I knew what dementia even was as a 16-year-old, I could have saved more face and even had excuses for showing up late!
“Really Patrick? You’re mocking a dude with dementia?”
Hey, if this diagnosis is legit, I feel bad for the guy.
As evidenced by the guy's bizarre behavior – which included greeting news reporters at his front door shirtless – the judge was or is dealing with something.
That being said, having dementia doesn't excuse all of his inappropriate behavior. Lovell’s first affair with a court bailiff occurred in 2011, 13 years before he was diagnosed.
Lovell is married. He admitted in a legal filing to having a sexual relationship with one bailiff in 2011.
He didn’t deny having a sexual relationship with the second bailiff last year. Instead, he told the Court on the Judiciary that, if true, it was private and "between consenting adults.
According to my crack internet research, frontotemporal dementia symptoms do appear gradually, but noticeable changes in behavior or judgment usually occur relatively close to the onset of the disease – not 13 years in advance.
So, even if the disease did play a role in his decision to treat the streets of Austin like a real-life version of Grand Theft Auto, or show off his pecs to Channel 5, it doesn’t explain why he was banging more than just his gavel in the courtroom 13 years ago.
It also doesn’t explain the tacky excuse his attorneys came up with when fighting for Lovell to keep his job.
Via KFOR:
[Lovell’s lawyers] argued even if he did have the affair, it shouldn’t matter. They mentioned former presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, arguing Clinton was allowed to remain in office after his affair with Monica Lewinsky became public, and that Trump was elected president in 2016 despite “wide knowledge the public had” of comments he made about grabbing women inappropriately.
"Judge Lovell could run for reelection today," Lovell’s lawyers wrote. "And if he did, he would win."
In all fairness to Judge Lovell and his lawyers, Enid did elect a white nationalist city councilman. They also later recalled him, so they are a weird, indecisive lot.
Anyway, I think it’s good Lovell is resigning. I hope he gets the medical care and treatment he needs, preferably at an ODOT medical facility.
It’ll be interesting to see:
A) How many of his court rulings and cases will be appealed or vacated? The judge having frontotemporal dementia seems like a pretty good excuse for a new trial.
B) Which Oklahoma judge will be the next one to resign in disgrace over inappropriate activities from the bench? Our judicial system is a bit of a circus, so you know there’s always another clown in the tent.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
