Case Study Chapter 6

This case study involved a highly respected judge of a small town. Judge Long was known for being harsh on drug offenders and child molesters. He even held out-of-towners without bond until their court hearing. The community trusted him to do a good and fair job at eliminating crime in their town.

What the public didn't know was that several of Judge Long's rulings, 39 in fact, had been reversed by the appellate court in less than three years.

Investigative reporter Charles Miller, of the Middleton Daily News, found out the judge seemed to be abusing his power. In one case, Judge Long dismissed a juror stating, "the trial court may exercise its discretion and replace any juror who is experiencing a great deal of anxiety."

When the defendant's attorney asked to bring the juror in to find out if that was the situation, the judge said, "No, I'm not going to do that."

The judge didn't speak with the media, so Miller caught him in the courtroom just before returning to his chambers and asked him about the reversals of several of his cases.

Judge Long was not pleased and asked Miller if he was the reporter who wrote stories about police brutality. He defended the police officers for risking their lives on a daily basis for their community.

Miller did not get an answer from Judge Long about the reversals, but reported the story on his findings anyway. The public was not happy. They knew the judge to be a fair and honest man. Miller and the Middleston Daily News were scrutinized for being "soft on crime."

However, the owner and publisher of the newspaper was behind Miller's reporting. "The Old Man" wrote an editorial about Judge Long's "arrogant self-aggrandizement and propagation of incompetence" career. Clearly, the Old Man wasn't fond of the judge's practices.

Public opinion of Miller, the newspaper and Judge Long changed quickly. Judge Long took a sudden leave of absence and returned to a private practice of criminal law.

The public does not investigate elected officials. They see only what is on the surface and vote accordingly. It is up to investigative journalists to reveal discrepancies in a so-thought "squeaky clean" official.