OKLAHOMA CITY -- A former judge convicted of exposing himself while presiding over jury trials by using a sexual device under his robes was denied parole on Tuesday. The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 5-0 against granting early release to former Judge Donald Thompson, who was sentenced to four consecutive one-year jail terms in August for indecent exposure. Prosecutors claimed Thompson used a device called a penis pump while presiding over trials between 2002 and 2003.
Thompson's attorney, Rob Nigh, told the board his client maintained his innocence and deserved to be considered for early release. He said the device was a gag gift from a longtime friend and that Thompson never used it, and that the punishment exceeded the conviction.
"He's lost everything. He's lost his profession. He's lost the ability to be a lawyer. He's lost the ability to ever be a judge," Nigh said.
Special prosecutor Richard Smothermon and assistant district attorney Pattye High lobbied against Thompson's early release during the meeting, saying he hadn't shown remorse for his actions. Smothermon also told the parole board that Thompson refused a plea deal in which he would have served no prison time in exchange for a guilty plea to a misdemeanor and that the former judge deserved "not an ounce of leniency."
Thompson, who served as a judge for more than 20 years, is being held at an undisclosed location for his own protection, said Jerry Massie, a spokesman for the Department of Corrections.
Details here from the AP via Seattlepi.com. In case you are bored, my earlier posts about Thompson and his legal troubles can be found here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.