A Swainsboro judge has agreed not to seek reelection, but can serve through the end of his term in 2026 after a state investigation into some 58 allegations of judicial misconduct.
The Supreme Court of Georgia approved the consent agreement negotiated by the Judicial Qualifications Commission with Robert “Bobby” S. Reeves, the chief judge of the Middle Judicial Circuit, last week.
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Reeves, who served as a superior court judge since 2007, admitted to the allegations found in 33 counts of allegedly violating the judicial code of conduct over seven years.
The rural circuit has only two full-time judges but spans five counties, including the CSRA counties of Emanuel, Jefferson and Washington.
The allegations against Reeves were made by assistant district attorneys and public defenders working for the circuit.
They included “minor, but nonetheless unwanted physical contacts” with female lawyers.
The complaint said Reeves pursued a female attorney in his car, going the wrong direction on a one-way street, to whistle at her and question why she was walking alone.
To another lawyer he yelled she had nice legs. He called one “Miss America.” Propping his hand on a female attorney’s shoulder, he demonstrated a sex act, advising how to not cause injuries. To another, he said she must be working out to not be gaining weight.
To other individuals, Reeves stated in public one was “the biggest drug dealer in Emanuel County” and that feeding inmates was optional. He said he’d need to increase sentencing in his cases due to another judge’s leniency.
The statements violate judges’ requirement not to undermine public confidence in the judiciary, the JQC held.
In addition, Reeves engaged in “various improper interactions” with city, state and superior court judges and prosecutors regarding their handling of cases, such as a private property owner’s trespassing complaint against several college students, it said.
He improperly appeared on video lobbying for donations to the Sunshine House, a care center for child victims, despite its investigators routinely appearing in his court, it said.
Reeves has fought the claims since they were filed in 2021. Some he argued involved “family friends” he had known for decades, or were based on statements he did not remember.
In addition to his stated agreement to retire, Reeves must serve a 30-day unpaid suspension and have a public reprimand published in the Middle Circuit’s legal organs and the Fulton County Daily Report.
