Ex-Judge's Disability Pension Related to Winning $2.1M Libel Suit Is Rejected
A divided state retirement board voted 3-2 today to reject a former Massachusetts judge’s request for a disability pension because of diagnosed post-traumatic stress that he says is related to a series of 2002 newspaper articles.
Former Superior Court Judge Ernest Murphy won a $2.1 million libel judgment against the Boston Herald over the articles. But the board majority rejected his bid for a disability pension that would have paid him 75 percent of his former salary on the bench, the Boston Herald reports today.
Murphy could still seek a reversal of the decision from the Division of Administrative Law Appeals. His lawyer did not respond to a request for comment, the newspaper says.
Earlier related coverage:
ABAJournal.com (May 2007): “$2 Million Libel Award to Mass. Judge Upheld”
ABAJournal.com (Oct. 2007): “Judge Who Won Libel Verdict Defends Ethics Charge”
ABAJournal.com (Dec. 2008): “Public Reprimand, But No Fine, for Judge Who Wrote Threatening Letters”
