On Friday, August 9, 2024, Bloomberg Law reported that the Department of Justice had assigned a veteran attorney to assist the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alaska with a review of cases involving former federal Judge Joshua Kindred.

Steven Clymer, an Assistant U.S. Attorney based in Syracuse with nearly 40 years of experience at DOJ, has been detailed to the Alaska U.S. Attorney’s Office. Clymer will support the office as it examines cases where Judge Kindred may have needed to recuse himself due to potential conflicts of interest but did not.

The case review was prompted by an ethics investigation into Kindred stemming from allegations of inappropriate conduct. It was found that Kindred had an inappropriate relationship with an Assistant U.S. Attorney, exchanging nude photos and flirtatious messages. Kindred resigned from his post last month. So far, prosecutors in Alaska have identified 44 cases that may have required Kindred’s recusal due to potential conflicts.

Given the expanding scope of the review, the office requested assistance from the DOJ in the form of assigning Mr. Clymer to help manage the workload. Mr. Clymer is well-versed in navigating complicated legal matters for the DOJ. He is known for successfully prosecuting two Los Angeles police officers involved in the 1991 beating of Rodney King. More recently, he spent two years in Kansas City as a special prosecutor overseeing the investigation of unauthorized recordings of prisoner-attorney conversations at a detention center

According to a retired DOJ official, Mr. Clymer is uniquely qualified for this type of special assignment due to his impartiality and ability to provide thoughtful counsel. His role in Alaska will be to support the U.S. Attorney’s Office and assist the federal court in understanding the scope and status of the ongoing conflicts review stemming from the former judge’s conduct.

In addition to weighing possible recusal issues across dozens of past cases, defense attorneys in Alaska have raised concerns about convictions that may need to be revisited. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has described its review as ongoing but also noted it will keep other DOJ components updated.

With a career spanning the DOJ’s offices on both coasts and including stops as a criminal division chief, Mr. Clymer seems well-positioned with his background and proven track record to deliver impartial analysis and oversight as the review in Alaska continues unfolding over what is acknowledged to be a complex legal situation with uncertain dimensions.

How Clymer’s involvement may shape upcoming disclosures or prosecutorial decisions remains to be seen. But his temporary assignment signals the high-level attention now being given to the integrity and thoroughness of the process for addressing the fallout from the former judge’s misconduct.

 

 

Source: Bloomberg Law