MIDDLE JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, GA – Chief Superior Court Judge Robert Reeves of Georgia’s Middle Judicial Circuit received significant discipline in 2024 from the Georgia Supreme Court for a long-standing pattern of judicial misconduct. The case, which began with a complaint containing 58 counts of alleged ethics violations, concluded with Judge Reeves agreeing to a suspension, a public reprimand, and a commitment not to seek re-election.
The disciplinary action was finalized through an Amended Discipline by Consent Agreement, where Judge Reeves admitted to or acknowledged the evidence supporting many of the charges spanning a seven-year period of his 17 years on the bench.
The Sanctions: Suspension and Retirement
The approved sanctions were a comprehensive response to the widespread misconduct:
- 30-Day Unpaid Suspension: Judge Reeves was suspended from judicial duties for one full month without pay and was required to stay away from the circuit courthouses during this time.
- Public Reprimand: He received a formal, published public reprimand.
- Agreement Not to Seek Re-election: Crucially, Judge Reeves agreed that he would not run for re-election when his current term concludes on December 31, 2026, effectively ending his judicial career.
Key Categories of Misconduct
The violations spanned multiple categories, violating several rules of the Code of Judicial Conduct, most notably those requiring judges to maintain dignity and avoid using the prestige of office for private interests.
1. Inappropriate and Sexually Biased Conduct
The majority of the admitted charges related to his treatment of female attorneys and court staff:
- Coarse and Demeaning Language: He used coarse, insensitive, and insulting language, often directed at women working in the court system.
- Comments on Appearance: Judge Reeves was cited for making inappropriate remarks about women’s dress and appearance. In a particularly egregious example, he reportedly suggested that female attorneys should wear bathrobes and bathing suits during virtual hearings.
- Unwanted Physical Contact: He engaged in a series of minor but unwanted physical contacts with a female lawyer.
2. Improper Judicial Influence
Judge Reeves repeatedly misused his judicial position to interfere with cases and advance private interests:
- Forbidden Ex Parte Communications: He engaged in improper interactions with municipal court judges and prosecutors concerning their cases and investigations, violating the rule against ex parte communications (talking to only one side without the other present).
- Misuse of Office for a Friend: He was found to have improperly asked another judge to reduce traffic charges for a friend, a clear example of using his judicial title to advance a private interest.
3. General Intemperate Remarks
His misconduct also included making improper and insensitive comments in open court, such as:
- Making a derogatory comment about an African American man in the courtroom by referring to him as “retarded.”
- Making disparaging and insensitive remarks about inmates.
Conclusion and Mitigating Factors
While the initial proposed sanction of a mere public reprimand was deemed insufficient by the Hearing Panel given the breadth of the violations, the revised agreement was ultimately accepted by the Georgia Supreme Court.
The Court acknowledged that the misconduct was severe and spanned years, but it also recognized mitigating factors: Judge Reeves took a “refreshing and honest approach” to the investigation, accepting responsibility for 33 of the 58 counts. The Hearing Panel also determined that his offenses were “not mean-spirited or self-serving,” which saved him from the most severe discipline—immediate removal from the bench.
Nonetheless, the final ruling sends a clear message: a pattern of intemperate, sexually biased behavior and misuse of judicial power is unacceptable and carries career-ending consequences. The discipline ensures his removal from the bench at the end of his term, upholding the necessary standards of integrity for the judiciary.