I-TEAM UPDATE: Washington County judge receives public reprimand
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - On Thursday, Washington County Chief Judge Robert Reeves received a public reprimand in court.
This comes after the judge was under investigation by the Judicial Qualifications Commission on 58 counts of judicial misconduct.
At the reprimand, Reeves did not speak.
Documents filed with the Judicial Qualifications Commission, or JQC, show formal charges filed against Reeves on November 16, 2022.
Ga. House leader has long list of priorities for lawmakers
School safety is just one of many issues House Speaker Burns plans to take on. Taxes, health care, tort reform and other matters also make the list.
The JQC conducts investigations and hearings about complaints of ethical misconduct by Georgia judges.
The reason for the charges? To determine if Reeves violated the code of judicial conduct.
In a 56-page document, 58 counts are written out against Reeves.
SEE THE DOCUMENT:
Those counts detail incidents of alleged improper comments.
For example, in 2021, while Reeves was talking to attendees, a man started to leave the courtroom. Reeves then made this comment to the man, “Sir, you’re walking and I’m telling you to be still. Are you really that retarded?”
This happened in open court with of the public, of the bar and other court personnel present.
From at least 2016 through 2022, Reeves allegedly engaged in a pattern of improper behavior that, at a minimum, gave the appearance of constituting sexual harassment and/or bias based upon the gender of various females involved in the Middle Judicial Circuit court system.
The documents allege that included inappropriate with lawyers, and stating they should wear bathrobes and bathing suits during virtual hearings.
Another charge includes Reeves participating in a promotional video with The Sunshine House, which regularly has employees testify in the Superior Court of the Middle Judicial Circuit in cases involving child sexual and physical abuse cases.
Social media posts lead to arrest of man in public indecency case
A 58-year-old man has been arrested and charged with felony public indecency on Wednesday afternoon.
In conclusion, the director of the JQC seeks disciplinary action for the above-stated violations of the Code of Judicial Conduct.
In January, Reeves gave his response to the formal charges, saying he denies most of the allegations or lacks knowledge of most of them ever happening.
A few months later, in May, Reeves filed a motion to dismiss the charges against him.
He claims the formal charges fail to state a claim for discipline for habitual intemperance and most of the formal charges allege non-judicial conduct and therefore fail to state a claim for discipline for willful misconduct in office.
Two months later, in June, Reeves’ dismissal was denied by the JQC. The allegations contained in the Formal Charges, when taken as true, constitute violations of the Code of Judicial Conduct and warrant discipline.
Reeves did not speak at Thursday’s reprimand, and he does not plan to seek re-election next year.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
