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GA Federal Judge Arrested on Drug and Gun Charges

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Mon Oct 04, 2010 at 07:41:16 PM EST
Tags: Judge Jack Camp (all tags)
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You don't see this too often: A senior federal judge in the Northern District of Georgia (formerly the Chief Judge until taking senior status) has been arrested and charged with illegal drug and gun crimes:

Senior U.S. District Judge Jack T. Camp Jr. was arrested late Friday night near Sandy Springs. Camp, 67, is accused of purchasing cocaine and marijuana, along with prescription painkillers that which he shared with an exotic dancer he met last spring at the Goldrush Showbar in Atlanta, according to an FBI agent’s affidavit for his arrest.

In some cases he bought drugs from the dancer, while in others the pair purchased them from other parties, according to the affidavit. Camp sometimes took loaded guns to the deals. Camp’s arrest came after a buy from an undercover agent, authorities said.

The dancer was cooperating with the feds and they wired her up to record his conversations without knowing. The Affidavit supporting the complaint is here. [More..]

As to the Judge's background:

Camp, a Vietnam veteran appointed to the bench by President Reagan, presided over cases in U.S. District Court in Atlanta for more than 20 years and was the chief judge before retiring last year and taking senior status, which essentially is a former of semi-retirement in which he still handles cases.

According to the affidavit, Camp brought a semi-automatic handgun to a recent drug purchase.

Camp's wife was in the gallery during his court appearance today. The dancer-girlfriend was given immunity from prosecution in exchange for her cooperation. She has a prior drug conviction.

His lawyer says it's a private matter and not about his judging:

“It’s not about Judge Camp being a judge. It is about Judge Camp being a husband and whether he has fulfilled those duties,” Morrison said after the bond hearing before a visiting U.S. magistrate. “This is not a case about judging. ... It is a case about judgment.”

Except he sentences people to jail on drug and gun offenses and has a reputation as a tough sentencer.

And he was using the cocaine and roxycodone. Every federal defendant who pleads guilty is asked in court whether they were under the influence of drugs at the time they decided to plead guilty and whether they are under the influence at the time of the plea. It seems only fair there should be some assurances the judge wasn't under the influence at the time he decided what sentence to impose and at the time he imposed it. I don't think this is a "private matter" at all.

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    GA Federal Judge Arrested on Drug and Gun Charges | 12 comments (12 topical)

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    Again proving (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by robotalk on Mon Oct 04, 2010 at 11:08:40 PM EST
    guys are dumb this way.

    A youthful indiscretion, (none / 0) (#1)
    by Peter G on Mon Oct 04, 2010 at 10:36:38 PM EST
    it seems to me, of which he is presumed to be innocent.

    To be brutally honest (none / 0) (#2)
    by andgarden on Mon Oct 04, 2010 at 11:00:43 PM EST
    a silver lining to a new Republican House majority would be watching them forced into impeaching a white southern Reagan-appointed judge as a first order of business.

    Of course, as Peter says, the courts will presume to judge innocent.

    Don't Republican rules require (none / 0) (#8)
    by observed on Tue Oct 05, 2010 at 06:47:20 AM EST
    two male Republican witnesses before any allegation of immorality or impropriety can be judged truthful?

    Parent
    And how many do Democrat rules require? (none / 0) (