A federal judge in Atlanta who was reprimanded for having sex with a high-ranking police officer in her chambers sent letters to several of her former law clerks on Thursday apologising for her "harmful, offensive, and unprofessional behaviour."
U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross wrote that she was "sorry for exposing you to my inappropriate personal relationship during your clerkship, and for the harm that I have caused you."
"My actions were patently wrong, and there is no excuse," according to a copy of a letter, opens new tab she sent one of her former clerks that was provided by her chambers, which said she sent similar ones to others.
Ross sent the letters after four former clerks wrote to the 11th Circuit Judicial Council earlier this week alleging she had failed to sufficiently apologize to them in earlier letters mandated by the judicial panel.
Ross's previous letters expressed her "deepest apology" that she had not taken steps to ensure the clerks' time working for her had been "a more positive experience," according to a copy published on Thursday by The New York Times.
Chief U.S. Circuit Judge William Pryor of the 11th Circuit following the Times' report made public a letter he had sent, Ross that had asked her by Friday to address the adequacy of her initial letters to the clerks.
Based on her revised letters, Pryor notified, opens new tab Ross on Thursday that he had decided not to initiate a new judicial misconduct case against her.
Ross did not respond to requests for comment.
Without naming Ross, the U.S. Judicial Conference's Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability on May 22 upheld the 11th Circuit's decision to sanction her for carrying out a sexual, extramarital affair with a law enforcement officer in the judge's chambers within earshot of staff.
The panel issued a private reprimand, finding the judge made false statements to other judges during the investigation and attended a political campaign event for a district attorney.
-Reuters
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