According to a petition filed June 27 in the court of Oklahoma Chief Judge John Cain IV, Assistant District Judge Brian Lovell was suspended for allegedly engaging in sexual misconduct and corruption while on court time.
The 58-year-old Garfield County judge was suspended immediately for allegedly “exchanging sexually explicit messages and images with a court employee while the court was in session, and engaging in sexual conduct with a court employee on the courthouse grounds while the court was in session,” according to the petition.
The charges against Garfield County Deputy District Judge Brian Lovell include allegations that he had sex with a bailiff during court hours. He already faces criminal charges for a shooting at his brother-in-law's home and a road-rage shooting in Texas. https://t.co/LMhSIIj5T5 pic.twitter.com/5IrMCimk6e
— Tara Blume (@tcblume) June 28, 2024
According to the documents, Lovell's sexual misconduct allegations began when he failed to disclose to authorities his relationship with Bailiff Natalie Marshall when he was hired in 2011. The conduct came to light when the bailiff disclosed it at the time and resigned. Five district judges voted to allow Lovell to keep his position despite the misconduct.
In 2023, the petition alleges, Judge Lovell and Judge Cynthia Tubbs, a bailiff hired to replace Judge Marshall in 2011, engaged in sexual activity “during court business hours” and continued to exchange sexually explicit images and text messages. Those messages included an instance in which Judge Lovell messaged Judge Tubbs prior to receiving a plea in a defendant's case.
According to the petition, Lovell denied that the two participated in any sexual activity, writing in his response that they were “only casually exchanging text messages.” Tubbs testified that the two committed the alleged acts. The text messages allegedly exchanged between the two “mention a physical relationship.”
The petition says Lovell is accused of “gross bias” and corruption for allegedly illegally cooperating with lawyers in several cases and for campaigning to persuade lawyers to give false testimony.
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According to the petition, Lovell repeatedly avoided disciplinary action by failing to appear before the Judicial Complaints Board and refusing to participate in its deliberations.
Judge Lovell was previously indicted in drive-by shootings in Oklahoma and Texas. Fox News report.
According to the outlet, Lovell was indicted in September in Texas for shooting at six vehicles outside the Mexican restaurant Juan in a Million.
According to the media, Lovell is suspected of firing shots into his brother-in-law's home in Oklahoma in February 2023.
Lovell's lawyer, Stephen Jones, argued the petition was an attempt to “humiliate and embarrass Judge Lovell and his family.” ABC News.
Jones also reportedly denied that his client was responsible for “gross dereliction of duty, corruption in office, commission of any crime involving moral turpitude in office, gross bias in office, oppression in office, and any other grounds.”
According to Fox News, Lovell has until July 8 to appeal his suspension, and his removal hearing is scheduled for July 30.
