The Associated Press
An Anchorage judge who was voted off the bench in November will not be allowed to seek judicial office again in the state. That’s the findings of the Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct in the case of Judge Richard Postma. The Commission’s disciplinary hearings regarding Postma ended on Wednesday when Postma agreed that his behavior amounted to ” wilful misconduct in office. ”
Postma was accused of engaging in conduct that created an appearance of impropriety that did not promote public confidence in the integrity of the judiciary. Postma allegedly bullied fellow judges and court employees, and sent unprofessional and offensive e-mails. Postma contended that he was subjected to ethnic stereotyping, discrimination and retaliatory conduct.
His lawyer, Thomas Van Flein, says Postma decided not to defend himself against the accusations because he felt his reputation had already been damaged. The agreement requires Postma to drop state and federal discrimination lawsuits that he filed against the court system and the Alaska Judicial Council. Postma became a judge in 2007, and the problems started early last year. He was put on paid leave in April of this year.
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