On Thursday, September 12, 2024, Reuters reported that the U.S. Judicial Conference, the federal judiciary’s primary policymaking body, has referred former U.S. District Judge Joshua Kindred to the U.S. House of Representatives for potential impeachment. This development follows allegations of sexual misconduct that led to Kindred’s resignation earlier this year.
The referral, which is a rare action for the Judicial Conference, was confirmed by a spokesperson for House Speaker Mike Johnson. The notification outlines possible grounds for impeachment against Kindred, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2020. The last time the Judicial Conference made a similar referral was in 2015, and historically, only 15 federal judges have been impeached, with just eight being convicted by the Senate.
While the House of Representatives, currently controlled by Republicans, will decide how to proceed with the referral, the implications for Kindred could be significant. Although he is no longer in office, a successful impeachment could prevent him from holding any federal position in the future.
Kindred resigned in July after an inquiry revealed he had engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a law clerk and created a hostile work environment for court staff. The 9th Circuit Judicial Council’s investigation determined that he had sexual encounters with the clerk in October 2022, after she had taken a position with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alaska. The inquiry also found that Kindred had lied about these encounters.
In addition to the sexual misconduct allegations, the investigation highlighted Kindred’s use of crude language and inappropriate discussions regarding his personal life and opinions about colleagues. Following the inquiry, the judicial council reprimanded him and requested his voluntary resignation, subsequently certifying the case for possible impeachment consideration.
Representative Hank Johnson, the leading Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee’s courts subcommittee, expressed support for the Judicial Conference’s decision to refer the matter for impeachment. He described Kindred’s actions as “despicable and unbecoming of any federal judge.”
Source: Reuters
