Police Arrest Long-Time Judge On Rape Charges

[harvey007]

Source: KOAT - TV

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Albuquerque police have arrested the long-time criminal judge for the Second Judicial District Court in Bernalillo County on rape charges. Deputy Police Chief Paul Feist said that Judge Albert "Pat" S. Murdoch was arrested Tuesday and that he also faces charges of intimidation of a witness.
Murdoch is the presiding criminal court judge.

Read more: http://www.koat.com/news/28603628/detail.html

[jberryhill]

1. Probably exposure to too many criminals

I wonder about people who spend most of their time dealing with the worst of behavior.

[certainot]

2. if he ever voted dem the local limbaugh megastation will be all over this until he's being

burned in effigy.

if he's a republican they will explain how he was set up, if they mention it.

[24601]

3. "criminal judge", but I repeat myself...n/t

[Juche]

4. I have some enjoyment when a law enforcement official may be a serious criminal

Its like they are saying flat out 'yeah the system is bullshit.' I can't stand the moralizing, holier than thou judges, DAs, cops, etc. since those tend to be the most violent and bullying from what I've seen (I've never been arrested, charged or convicted of anything, I'm going on what I've seen and had implied about the LE community). So when something like this happens, it is like a black eye to all of them and hopefully forces them to admit they aren't some 'above normal morals and ethics' force for good. I'd rather be policed by people who understand we are all fallable humans who still need to be held to account, but there is no clear division of 'good guys' and 'bad guys'. That kind of black/white thinking leads to bad things when done on the national level since you lose your senses of shame, remorse and inhibitions when you start thinking like that.

FWIW, I do love stories like this for another reason. They show the rule of law still applies a bit and that, to a degree at least, powerful and prestigious people cannot commit crimes against the weak or unpopular like they could historically. When a multi-millionaire and head of the IMF like DSK was arrested for suspicion of raping a non-white, foreign born hotel staffer or when a judge is arrested for suspiction of forcing oral sex on a prostitute, it shows the system still works in a way and the rule of law still (kindof) applies.

Of course it doesn't work when a president or VP commits a crime (which happened under both Clinton and Bush). Or when a wealthy corporation commits a crime. But aside from that.

[bemildred]

5. L.A. County is seeing a spike in deputy-fraud allegations

Several Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies have been entangled in fraud allegations in the last year, a spike that the department's watchdog says may be linked to overtime cuts pushing cash-strapped deputies to commit crimes.

One deputy torched his own car for an insurance payout, another fabricated a burglary and a third enlisted a fellow cop to help him drive his car to Mexico, where he abandoned it and later claimed it was stolen. Two other deputies are facing federal charges in an alleged mortgage fraud scheme, according to the report provided to The Times Monday by the Office of Independent Review.

Financial crimes committed by deputies in past years consisted mainly of petty theft and other minor infractions, but recently the allegations have become more serious and frequent, said Michael Gennaco, who heads up the watchdog agency.

Gennaco said that although deputies receive relatively good pay and benefits, it was reasonable to link the crimes to overtime cuts because many had become accustomed to a standard of living that's not possible without the extra income. Losing that, he said, may have pushed some deputies to pad their salaries illegally.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lasd-fraud-20110719,0,1484216.story