US indictment accuses ex-judge of tossing cases in exchange for compromising photos and paddlings
Joseph Boeckmann. Photo from Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office.
A federal indictment unsealed Monday accuses a former Arkansas judge of dismissing traffic and misdemeanor cases in exchange for photographing defendants as they picked up litter in “compromising positions” while performing “community service” for the judge.
Former Judge O. Joseph Boeckmann of Cross County was charged with bribery, wire fraud, witness tampering, and violating the federal travel act, report the Associated Press, Arkansas Online and Reuters.
The indictment (PDF) alleges that Boeckmann used his official position as a judge to obtain personal services, sexual contact, and the opportunity to view and photograph the defendants in compromising positions.
The indictment also claims Boeckmann tried to conceal his conduct by encouraging the defendants not to tell anyone about the case dismissals, falsifying court paperwork, and attempting to threaten and bribe witnesses. Boeckmannn wrote in court documents that the defendants had performed community service even though he had directed their actions for his own personal benefit, the indictment says.
Boeckmann offered a case dismissal to one defendant in return for being photographed naked, or while masturbating, or while being paddled on his bare buttocks, the indictment alleges.
Boeckmann pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Monday in federal court in Little Rock. He was being held in protective custody at the jail in Pulaski County, the Associated Press reported in this update. He is also on suicide watch, a sheriff’s spokesman told the wire service.
Boeckmann resigned in May amid an investigation by the state disciplinary commission.
