EDITORIAL: Stained Robe
Times-Picayune (excerpt)

U.S. District Judge Thomas Porteous escaped the Wrinkled Robe investigation of judicial corruption without a criminal indictment -- but that does not mean he did no wrong.

The Justice Department decided not to seek criminal charges. Yet a majority among 19 federal judges who examined the case against Judge Porteous and testimony from him and others found "substantial evidence" that Judge Porteous broke the law as well as ethics rules. The panel concluded Judge Porteous' actions warrant removal from the bench, and we agree.

The instances of misconduct cited by the administrative panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans leave no doubt that Judge Porteous does not belong on the federal bench. In its report, the panel says Judge Porteous lied under oath numerous times in his 2001 bankruptcy and also disregarded court orders in that proceeding.

The report also said the judge "engaged in fraudulent and deceptive conduct" concerning a debt at Regions Bank, and took gifts and things of value from lawyers with cases on his docket but failed to report the gifts for years -- in flagrant violation of the code of judicial conduct.