News Notes: Two California Judges On The Wrong Side Of The Law

Two California jurists were recently charged with sexual harassment by court employees. The first case involved Placer County Superior Court Judge W. Jackson Willoughby, who allegedly harassed his court clerk and bailiff by groping them and making sexist remarks. The county has shelled out almost $110,000 to settle the suits. And the state is now deciding whether to remove Willoughby from the bench. The second incident involved San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge John Gibson, who was charged with harassing three court employees over a period of three years. Gibson was publicly admonished for eight separate acts of sexual harassment, including charges that he put sexual innuendos in memos to the courthouse administrative supervisor and behaved inappropriately toward employees in his chambers. However, because he was only admonished, Gibson will be able to keep his job.