Joshua Kindred, who abruptly resigned as a U.S. District Court judge for Alaska last week, had an “inappropriately sexualized relationship” with one of his law clerks, engaged in “unwanted” sexual conduct and then lied about it to the chief judge, according to the Judicial Council of the Ninth Circuit (article available here).
The findings are summarized in a 30-page order, signed by nine federal judges. It is rife with details describing sexual harassment, vulgar remarks and texts about his sexual desires and experiences. It also describes Kindred’s attempts to mislead and deny when confronted with complaints.
Most of his alleged misconduct was focused on a law clerk who became an assistant U.S. attorney. After she took her new job as a prosecutor — in an office that brings cases to his court — Kindred engaged in sexual contact with her on two occasions. She says the second incident, in an Airbnb where he was staying, was not consensual. He says it was.
The panel also reviewed nearly 300 pages of text messages between the two over an 11-month period.
Kindred encouraged his law clerks to rate people based on their sexual desirability, the report said, and belittled or ostracized clerks who tried to talk to him about his inappropriate behavior.
The federal Judicial Council referred the case to the Judicial Conference of the United States, to consider recommending his impeachment. An impeachment would have to go through Congress. In U.S. history, only a handful of federal judges have been impeached by the U.S. House and convicted by the Senate. It’s not clear what the ramifications of impeachment would be, since Kindred has already resigned, but it could prevent him from holding high office again.
Before his appointment to the bench, Kindred worked in the Office of the Regional Solicitor and as a prosecutor in the Anchorage district attorney’s office.