Editorial
Embattled Lincoln County District Judge Traci Soderstrom should do what is right and immediately resign from her position.
Last week following an extensive investigation by the Oklahoma Council of Judicial Complaints, the State Supreme Court filed a petition seeking Soderstrom’s removal.
The petition accuses her of gross neglect of duty, gross partiality in office, oppression in office, all violations of the State Constitution and other grounds specified by the Legislature.
Judge Soderstrom came under investigation by the Oklahoma Council of Judicial Complaints for reportedly using her cell phone extensively during a seven-day murder trial in June that she presided over.
She pulled another stunt shortly after it was revealed that she was under investigation.
She had a camera in her courtroom moved on Monday, July 17, after it had been made known she apparently was on her cell phone for hours during the murder trial after having banished the jury from using theirs.
For sure that’s a double standard, but it was wrong of her for spending so much time on the cell phone in the first place.
It had to be a distraction when instead she should have been listening to the trial over which she was presiding.
She had a box placed over the camera so no one could see what she was doing during court proceedings.
Lincoln County commissioners, during their meeting on Aug. 7, voted unanimously to have that box removed that was blacking out the security camera over the bench area in the courtroom.
The details of the allegations cited over 500 text messages between Soderstrom and her Bailiff during that murder trial and many were nothing short of disgusting.
One example is the bailiff makes a demeaning reference to the prosecuting attorneys’ genitalia to which the judge replied with a ‘Ha Ha’ icon.
Another was the judge and her bailiff discussing jury instructions which would best fit their desired outcome.
It’s hard to imagine why a district judge would spend hours on her cell phone consumed with everything but the murder trial she was presiding over.
Her alleged behavior as pointed out in the 47-page petition based on the investigation by the Council of Judicial Complaints is horrendous.
Her actions pointed out in the petition are despicable and describe a pattern of abuse of power. Numerous complaints are cited in that petition.
She’s betrayed the trust of the people in Lincoln and Pottawatomie Counties and the electorate that allowed her to win her position.
Soderstrom has so fractured the relationships with the District Attorney’s office, many defense attorneys and others in the courthouse that she couldn’t possibly continue as a judge.
She should step down now and prevent any further embarrassment she might cause.