An Oklahoma judge caught playing on her phone as a mother sobbing over her son’s murder faces official pressure to remove her from the bench after it was found she sent 500 texts to her bailiff – including several mocking prosecutors and calling the dead child’s mother. “swindler swindler.”
The chief justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court recommended the removal of Lincoln County District Judge Traci Soderstrom in a court filing Tuesday following an investigation by the state Judicial Grievance Council.
Soderstrom — who was just sworn in as a judge in January — was caught on surveillance footage in June constantly playing on his phone during Khristian Martzall’s trial for the murder of 2-year-old battered Braxton Danker.
When the child’s mother, Judith Danker, took the stand as the main prosecution witness against Martzall, her boyfriend, Soderstrom texted: “Can I yell ‘liar, liar?’
“The state cannot accept that a mother can kill their child, so they go after the next person available,” said one text, according to the complaint board’s findings.
Soderstrom was filmed texting during Khristian Martzall’s June trial for killing Braxton Danker, 2, who went into cardiac arrest after being beaten. The Oklahoman, /YouTube
Soderstrom’s message also questioned whether a juror was wearing a wig, if a witness had teeth — and inappropriately praised a police officer who testified as “beautiful.”
“I could see him all day,” the judge texted about the unidentified officer.
The judge also repeatedly referred to District Attorney Adam Panter, saying he was “sweating through his coat” while questioning potential jurors — and asking, “Why does he have baby hands?”
Judge Traci Soderstrom may lose her position on the bench in Oklahoma after she was caught mocking prosecutors in the case. Lincoln County District Court
Soderstrom also sent a laughing emoji to the bailiff, who “made vulgar and derogatory references to the prosecuting attorney,” the filing said.
Another text described the advocate as “awesome” and asked, “Can I clap for him?”
At one point, he also allegedly discussed the sentence with the bailiff, saying the second-degree manslaughter charge would only land Martzall in prison for two to four years.
“Ahhh. And he already delivered it,” the bailiff replied, to which Soderstrom simply replied, “Yes.”
In a text message to the bailiff, he poked fun at the district attorney’s appearance.The Oklahoman, /YouTube
In the end, Martzall was convicted of second-degree murder for Danker’s death in 2018 — and sentenced to four years with credit for time served.
Danker, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to allowing child abuse and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
When questioned by the Judicial Grievance Council, Soderstrom said the message “maybe can wait” — saying he thought, “oh, that’s funny. Go ahead,” according to the filing.
However, Chief Justice John Kane IV wrote in the filing to remove him that “his pattern of behavior is demonstrated [Soderstrom’s] dereliction of duty, gross partiality” and “lack of character to serve as a judge.”
“The entire text message gives the appearance that Respondent believes the defendant is innocent and that he wants a certain verdict in the case,” Kane wrote.
Soderstrom is now accused of manipulating prisoners’ sentences. The Oklahoman, /YouTube
Soderstrom has been temporarily suspended from his post since he was exposed for using his phone during the trial.
His attorney told The Oklahoman that he “takes these allegations very seriously” and requested “the entire record from the Judicial Grievance Council so he can respond appropriately.”
But in a statement to local newspapers, District Attorney Adam Panter said, “It is now well known that Judge Soderstrom spent many hours in a homicide trial involving the brutal beating death of a child posted on his cell phone on social media, instead of looking at the evidence. .
“But what … in my opinion is even more obscene is that we are now aware of the allegations that Judge Soderstrom is actively trying to undermine the State’s ability to successfully prosecute a child killer.”
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
