Story Archive

Exposed to Judgment

The Arkansas state commission on judicial conduct has been investigating allegations that Cross County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Boeckmann Jr., 70, had been offering leniency to young, white men who were willing to submit to paddlings, pose for pictures without clothing, and otherwise provide the judge sexual favors — and that his pattern of misconduct stretched back to his time as a prosecutor in the 1980s. Boeckmann resigned after more than 1,000 photographs of clothed and unclothed young men were found on his computer, the commission said, and it expected to recover another 3,000. Other authorities, including the state police, have begun investigating. Attorney Gary Green, who is suing on behalf of three of the judge’s victims, says Boeckmann “picked on people who were not able to defend themselves.” Boeckmann previously claimed the photographs had a legitimate purpose: “to corroborate participation in community service.” (AC/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, NBC) ...They ended up corroborating how he serviced the community.