Georgia judge suspended without pay in misconduct case

The chief judge of Georgia’s Middle Judicial Circuit has been suspended without pay for 30 days in response to allegations he made sexist and degrading remarks to lawyers and court staff, inappropriately touched women, tried to influence prosecutions and improperly assisted a charity’s fundraising efforts.

Judge Robert “Bobby” Reeves, whose jurisdiction covers Candler, Emanuel, Jefferson, Toombs and Washington counties, will also be publicly reprimanded as part of an agreement with the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission. He has agreed not to seek judicial office once his term ends Dec. 31, 2026.

Reeves’ alleged misconduct spanned seven years, the Georgia Supreme Court noted in a ruling Tuesday, adding that he admitted some of the inappropriate behavior. Reeves was elected to the Middle Judicial Circuit in 2007 and named chief judge in 2020.

“Judge Reeves’ misconduct was more wide-ranging than conduct we have previously found warranted only a public reprimand or a shorter suspension,” the state Supreme Court said.

Reeves’ suspension must start by Sept. 1.

The JQC brought 58 ethics charges against Reeves in November 2022 , alleging he violated Georgia’s Code of Judicial Conduct. Its investigation focused on more than a dozen incidents in and outside court from 2016 to 2022.

Reeves was accused, among other things, of asking a court attendee if they were “retarded,” referring to an investigator as “the biggest drug dealer in Emanuel County,” saying that another judge was too lenient and shouldn’t be assigned important cases, and asking a judge to go easy on an acquaintance facing traffic-related charges.

The JQC said Reeves secretly asked a prosecutor to dismiss or add charges in criminal cases and publicly endorsed a children’s advocacy center involved in court cases as part of its fundraising efforts.

Allegations of the judge’s inappropriate behavior toward women included that he whistled at a female public defender’s office employee as she was walking down a one-way street and drove his car in the wrong direction to approach her, then asked why “a pretty girl like you” was walking alone. He routinely called the woman “Miss America,” regularly tried to hug her, often touched her shoulders and rubbed her back in a way that made her uncomfortable, and said he’d sign documents that she brought to him if she smiled, the JQC said.

Reeves was also accused of saying that a female lawyer needed to decide if she wanted to be a full-time mother or a full-time attorney, as she couldn’t be both, and making negative comments about maternity leave. The JQC said he commented several times on women’s weight, dress and appearance, and suggested to a female attorney that her bedroom antics had injured her husband’s back, before squeezing her shoulder.

Reeves said he expected women to wear bathrobes and bathing suits during virtual hearings and told a female court employee that she had “really nice legs,” the JQC alleged.

Reeves’ lawyer, Lester Tate, said the judge never meant to offend anyone. Reeves told the JQC that some of his comments were intended as jokes, and that he had apologized to those he offended, case records show.

“Judge Reeves is an excellent jurist, who also freely acknowledges and learns from his mistakes,” Tate told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He looks forward to continuing to serve the people of Georgia.”

As part of his agreement with the JQC, Reeves will voluntarily recuse from cases involving three attorneys who participated in the misconduct investigation.

The JQC’s hearing panel determined that Reeves’ behavior was “boneheaded and tone-deaf but not mean-spirited or self-serving.” It acknowledged his “refreshing and honest approach to the investigative process” and his acceptance of responsibility.

“Hugs and shoulder rubs intended as collegial signs of affection were off-putting and unwelcome,” the hearing panel said in a recent report unsealed Tuesday. “Suggestions to prosecutors and a municipal judge on how to handle cases were misplaced but not ill-intentioned.”

Before becoming a judge, Reeves served as a deputy assistant attorney general for the state and a military lawyer while a captain in the U.S. Air Force. He practiced law in Swainsboro for more than 30 years. In the 1980s, he served as a part-time federal magistrate judge upon nomination by then-President Ronald Reagan.

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