Judge Disciplined For Displaying Photos Of His Genitals

Board Finds Public Showing of Pictures ”A Matter Of Disrepute“

Steve Dibert, MFI-Miami

A former Philadelphia Traffic Court judge maintains he did not intend to show photographs of his genitals on his phone to a Philadelphia Parking Authority contractor.  However, the Court of Judicial Discipline disagreed with his claim and found that he did intentionally show the images. Judge Willie F. Singletary said he did not recall that the two photographs were on his phone.

Court of Judicial Discipline ruled that Judge Singletary brought the judicial office into disrepute in violation of the state constitution, said the judges on the Discipline Panel. The panel of judges agreed the standard of evidence was clear and convincing.

“We hold that a judge who intentionally grooms his penis for photography, and then intentionally photographs his penis for the purpose of display to others, had better remember that the photographs are in his phone lest they ‘slip out’ at some inopportune (albeit unplanned) time under circumstances which are likely to offend another person or persons, for, if they do, we will hold such conduct satisfies the ‘mens rea requirement’ so as to support a finding that the conduct is such that brings the judicial office into disrepute,” according to the opinion.”

Singletary was suspended without pay January 5 by the state Supreme Court. Singletary was first suspended from his judicial duties December 23 by Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Gary S. Glazer, the administrative judge of the Traffic Court, because Singletary showed the dual images of his genitals to a cashier.

Although, there is no allegation or evidence to suggest that Singletary transmitted the photographs to the complainant in the case, the court added that even the most insensitive people expect their judges to behave better.

“We think that the public — even those members of the public who register the lowest scores on the sensitivity index — do not expect their judges to be conducting photo sessions featuring the judicial penis and then to be sending the photos over the electronic airwaves to another person,”