- An Oklahoma choose resigned after she was caught sending a whole bunch of texts throughout a homicide trial.
- She mocked prosecutors and witnesses, together with saying the deceased kid’s mom was a “liar.”
- Her resignation got here earlier than she was as a result of trial in a particular court docket on Monday.
An Oklahoma choose has stepped down after she was caught sending a whole bunch of textual content messages whereas presiding over a homicide trial regarding the loss of life of a two-year-old boy.
Lincoln County District Decide Traci Soderstrom exchanged greater than 500 texts with a bailiff through which she mocked prosecutors and witnesses, together with the mom of the deceased toddler Braxton Danker, the Related Press reported.
Khristian Martzall, the boyfriend of the kid’s mom, was on trial and was later convicted of second-degree manslaughter.
The chief justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court docket, Justice John Kane IV, beneficial her elimination from the bench in October over accusations of gross neglect of responsibility, lack of correct temperament, and different grounds, the AP reported.
The transfer to oust Soderstrom took place after the Oklahoman printed 50 minutes of safety footage, which confirmed Soderstrom sending messages for minutes whereas within the courtroom.
In Kane’s petition, he mentioned that an investigation into her texts revealed she described the protection lawyer as “superior” and needed to “clap for her.”
Against this, she mocked a prosecutor for “sweating by means of his coat” and made enjoyable of jurors’ hair and enamel.
She additionally texted a laughing emoji icon to the bailiff, who “made a crass and demeaning reference” to the prosecuting lawyer’s genitals.
When the deceased youngster’s mom took the stand because the prosecution’s key witness, she despatched a textual content saying: “Can I please scream ‘liar, liar?’”
Different texts appeared to indicate the choose expressing her opinion that the defendant was harmless.
Soderstrom determined to step down earlier than she was as a result of go on trial in a particular court docket on Monday, per the AP.
The choose, who took workplace final yr, mentioned that she determined to step down slightly than see out the trial as a result of she didn’t imagine it will be truthful.
In a resignation assertion printed by native media, Soderstrom mentioned that when she took workplace, she “promised to uphold the Structure in a good, even-handed and environment friendly method.”
“Despite resistance at practically each flip, I imagine that I’ve finished so. Nonetheless, being human, I’ve additionally faltered,” she mentioned.
