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The judge responds to a petition seeking his ouster for alleged sexual misconduct.
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Creek County District Judge Donald D. Thompson on Tuesday formally denied allegations of improper sexual conduct leveled against him by Attorney General Drew Edmondson.
In a filing with the Court on the Judiciary, Thompson also asked that the allegations against him be limited to the initial complaint submitted to the Council on Judicial Complaints. That complaint alleged that on Aug. 22, 2003, Thompson used a penis pump during the trial of Paula Sue Moss. A jury found Moss guilty of first-degree manslaughter in the July 2002 death of Sapulpa resident Leigh Beaver.
"From that finite allegation of misconduct, the investigation and the petition filed herein have ballooned into an indeterminate series of sensational allegations," states a petition filed by Thompson's attorneys, Clark Brewster and Robert Nigh Jr.
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Based on state law, the allegations in the petition to remove the judge from the bench should be limited to those in the original complaint, according to the filing.
"The initial complaint filed before the Council on Judicial Complaints provided sufficient notice and contained a finite set of allegations, which allowed for preparation of a defense, but the petition filed before this court does not," the judge's brief states.
The attorney general filed a petition with the Court on the Judiciary on June 23 seeking Thompson's ouster for alleged sexual misconduct while presiding over trials. The judge has denied the allegations previously through his attorney.
In his formal response, Thompson denies using a penis pump during nonjury and jury trials in his courtroom and in the presence of court employees. He also denied placing himself in a position where his court reporter viewed his penis, the petition states.
Edmondson's ouster petition alleged that Thompson fired his court reporter, Lisa Foster, after hearing that she had cooperated with the investigation into alleged misconduct by the judge.
Foster's employment was not terminated, according to the judge's brief, but inquiry was made concerning her ability to work in light of the allegations.
Edmondson's petition alleges that the judge also fired his secretary, Zelma Hindman, at the same time as Foster. Hindman also reportedly saw the penis pump.
Thompson's brief said the decision to terminate Hindman was made before any allegations were made against the judge. The decision was made with input from other employees, including Foster, the brief states.
Thompson is asking that the ouster petition be dismissed and judgment be entered in his favor.
A trial is set for Sept. 13.
Last week, the Administrative Office of the Courts confirmed that sexually explicit pictures were found on the judge's state computer. The information has not been made part of the matter before the Court on the Judiciary. Brewster said last week that information on another employee's computer had been transferred to the judge's computer. Brewster also suggested that the information could be related to a case.