Judge quits after DUI bust - Fed jurist reportedly in drag when stopped
The Boston Herald By O’Ryan Johnson - February 16, 2008
A 63-year-old Massachusetts federal bankruptcy judge has resigned a week after he was arrested for driving under the influence in New Hampshire while reportedly wearing a woman’s dress, heels and stockings, and carrying a purse.
Judge Robert Somma, a Newbury resident, pleaded no contest to the drunken driving charge in New Hampshire and agreed to have his license suspended for 12 months, the Manchester Union Leader reported. “He decided with the media coverage the way it had been, it was best to put this behind him,” Gary Wenta, circuit executive for Boston’s First Federal Circuit, told the Herald.
Wenta said Somma worked in private practice for years in Boston before he was appointed to the bench by President Bush in December 2004. He will remain on leave until he resigns on April 1, after roughly three years on the job. “He’s a highly respected member of the bar and remains so,” Wenta said. “He was serving a 14-year appointment. This will leave him without a pension.”
The Union Leader reported yesteday that Somma crashed his Mercedes into the rear of a car stopped on Elm Street after leaving a bar in the city last week. When cops arrived, the paper reported, Somma was wearing a cocktail dress, fishnet stockings, women’s heels and fumbled through a purse for his driver’s license.
Somma had a hard time keeping his balance, smelled of alcohol and slurred his speech, the paper reported, citing the Manchester police report. He failed a field sobriety test and took a breath test at the station that registered a blood-alcohol level of .12.
He told police he drank two gin and tonics at a Manchester bar. He said he came to New Hampshire because his wife was out of town and nobody knew him in the city, the paper reported.
A phone call placed to Somma’s home was not immediately returned yesterday. The Manchester Police Department also did not return a call for comment. During his career, Somma has hosted numerous legal talks at the Boston Bar Association. He was called on frequently for legal workshops when bankruptcy laws recently changed to help lawyers maneuver through new regulations.
Was he putting on makeup at the time of the accident? This is a big problem, I see a lot of people doing this, though usually WOMEN!
ReplyDeleteWOW..AND HE'S A JUDGE REPSONSIBLE FOR OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES. THIS STORY SAYS IT ALL.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't judges have to go through mental testing before they get put on the bench?
ReplyDeleteProbably because they'll all fail the test. LOL
ReplyDeleteIf we had mental exams for judges....court clerks and court reporters would be running the courts!
ReplyDeletedon't knock it, there's nothing wrong here except he got caught with his pants down
ReplyDeleteCourt clerks and court reporters NOW run the courts. The best return on a payoff comes from the lesser known people who can change things and make papers disappear and who WRITE MOST OF THE DECISIONS! Most times its more important to have political connections with a "low level" clerk!!!
ReplyDeleteThis judge simply confused his be "held to a higher standard" with his "wearing high heels." Any word on his underwear? (thong v boxers)
ReplyDeleteUsually some of the comments on this site can get a good chuckle out of me... but this one out right made me "LMAOOOO"!!! (thong v boxers) still laughing!
ReplyDeleteOn a more serious note, I find this type of behavior to be very common! Especially amoung the Police Officers... the very people that issue the DUI's are driving drunk themselves! I know because I drink with them! ;) At least, I know when to give my keys up or cab-it home. If they get caught, they show their badge and keep moving.
This is one great big contradiction!!!
Well, after all, he was appointed by Bush. And we all know Bush is insane, so what did you really expect?
ReplyDeleteThis is the last straw (or dress). I'm moving to China where at least they are honest about what is going on with their government.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely there should be pyschological testing/assessment for anyone seeking the bench.
ReplyDeleteThis assessment should be administered by a team of pyschologist! With weekly sessions thereafter. Most of them have border line personality disorders.
Just because a person functions on a high level intellectually doesn't mean they function the same high level emotionally.
That's a fact!!!
I used to hang with the DWI top prosecutor in supreme ct....he was always so drunk, he could rarely stand up at the bar and then drive home or to the next bar! The next business day, as an OCA employee MYSELF, he would gladly have many defts convicted of DWI! He is now in private practice, but recently a supreme ct judge in our area was arrested for hit and run and driving while smashed on narcotics. This area solicited him from private practice to be the independent prosecutor and guess what...the guilty judge got off with a bench trial...of course...oca did not have it in for her! OCA is so amusing and transparent..they only play these games for themselves...no one buys their crap! What a STUPID BUNCH OF LAWYERS AND JUDGES PARTICIPATING IN THIS CORRUPTION...ANYONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO BUST THEM UP!
ReplyDeleteIt's Maybelline!!!
ReplyDeleteShould have been....COVER-GIRL~
ReplyDeleteIt was good for a laugh - but on a more serious note - these are the
ReplyDeletewackos who are filling out prisons/
jails with people like us that break laws we weren't even aware
existed. Do you know the 500 new
laws that our government passed last year? Good luck understanding
them if you can even find them all in one place. We are all subject to standing in front of one of these ELITE officials. They used to be called PUBLIC SERVANTS but
that went by the wayside in favor
of the ELITE.
Is there a picture of Mr. Judge in his dress and heels? I bet those cops are still laughing over this one.
ReplyDeletewas the lady wearing red?
ReplyDeleteAs far as the new laws are concerned, i must tell you how that situation goes down in the courthouse!
ReplyDeleteAs a long time court clerk, we would get a memo from the chief clerk( who of course was a hack or judge's lover and never knew court law or procedure) who would then always state, usually in APRIL or MAY of the next year, that the previous year a law was passed changing the surcharge, fines, sentencing guidelines, etc.,and we were not abiding by them...so we should do so now! We never got a memo telling us what the law was, how it applied to our cases and if the judge knew or if we should instruct him or her!
SO, NY STATE LEGISLATURES, WHATEVER YOU PASS THINKING IT SHOULD FLOAT INTO THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND AUTOMATICALLY BECOME PART OF THIS SYSTEM....THE REALITY IS ....NOT! OCA has hired too many unfit and incompetent political chief clerks and deputy chief clerks, without even touching the ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE'S INABILITIES AND LACK OF LEGAL COMPETENCE!
SO AS FAR AS FINDING THE LAWS, IT DOES NOT MATTER...WE DON'T APPLY THEM ANYWAY....ALMOST ALL OF THE TIME. THIS IS WHY POLITICS MUST DISAPPEAR IN ALL OF OCA.....SO JUSTICE CAN BE DELIVERED TO THOSE EXPECTING IT! ASK SOME JUDGES IF THEY EVER SEAL FILES...160.50 OR 160.55CPL!
Well, there's a lesson for ya. If you're a judge who likes to dress in drag, don't get drunk and drive!
ReplyDeletethis is one who has surfaced...how many others are there? All Judges and lawyers should be subjected to full character and psychological examinations (among others) conducted by an independent authority comprised of non-lawyers. The judicial system is too important to be left to the lawyers and Judges to police. Just look at all the Corruption we have with attorneys and Judges.
ReplyDeleteThis is Hilarious!! You just can't make this stuff up! Better than TV!
ReplyDelete