OKLAHOMA CITY — Rep. Jason Lowe, D-OKC, filed legislation this week for the upcoming legislative session that he says will protect and restore faith in the Oklahoma justice system.
The bill, called the Judge Timothy Henderson Act, would forbid judges from having a sexual relationship with a lawyer who is representing a client in the courtroom assigned to the judge.
Judge Henderson admitted to sexual conduct with a prosecutor that led to problems in some cases.
Any judge who violates the proposed law could be imprisoned for up to two years and fined up to $100,000.
“The people of Oklahoma have an expectation for how their public servants should act,” Lowe said. “This legislation helps ensure that the decisions being made by a judge are driven by the facts of the case and not a relationship with an attorney.”
“As most of us know, the appearance of impropriety is often as damaging as the impropriety itself,” Lowe said. “This is a proactive approach to protect public trust by holding public servants accountable.”