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Report: Court Tried to Protect Worker from Socially 'Inept' Judge by Hiding Her Desk

By Martha Neil

October 25, 2010, 11:29 pm CDT

Before banning a Florida judge from the Osceola County Courthouse, officials tried to prevent him from offering unwanted attention to a court worker by changing her cellphone number and moving her desk to a secret location, she testified today at a legal ethics trial.

But Orange-Osceola Circuit Judge N. James Turner didn’t seem to realize how awful he was to work with, she and others told the Judicial Qualifications Commission, contending that he yelled at them and touched them inappropriately, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

However, Turner’s defense lawyer says none of his conduct was sexual. The newspaper reports that the picture of the 64-year-old judge that emerged was one of a person who was “lonely and embarrassingly inept with people, especially women.”

A subsequent Orlando Sentinel article details the results of a psychological exam of Turner.

Related coverage:

ABAJournal.com: “Socially Awkward Judge Was ‘a Little Creepy,’ Asst. DA Tells Ethics Panel”

ABAJournal.com: “2-Month Hiatus for ‘Socially Inept’ Judge re Conduct ‘Akin to Stalking’”

Updated on Nov. 3 to link to subsequent Orlando Sentinel article.