Feds Scrutinize Cases of Judge Who Hooked Up With Stripper, Drugs

(Dec. 2) -- There's more fallout from the case of a federal judge in Atlanta who pleaded guilty last month to buying drugs for a stripper who became his mistress after they met at the Goldrush Show Bar.

U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates announced in Atlanta today that her office is investigating whether any of the cases U.S. District Judge Jack Camp handled were influenced by the use of drugs or racial bias.

"From May of 2010 forward, there is evidence that Camp's judicial decision-making process may have been impacted by bias and/or impairment, and it has been established that he was involved in criminal conduct during this period," Yates said in a statement. "Therefore, we will not object to a defendant's request for a resentencing in any case in which the defendant was sentenced during this time."

Yates said a woman -- referred to only as "Witness 1" -- alleged that Camp, 67, used drugs, expressed racial bias about court cases and used a racial epithet in private. Her office declined to confirm that Witness 1 was the stripper Camp had an affair with, though court documents show that the stripper cooperated with investigators, which resulted in Camp's arrest in October and his eventual downfall.

On Nov. 19, Camp pleaded guilty to aiding a felon in possessing illegal drugs, possessing illegal drugs and giving his government-issued laptop to the stripper. He has resigned as a federal judge, which is lifetime presidential appointment. Sentencing is set for March 4.

Authorities said the probe revealed that from May to September, Camp used marijuana, cocaine, Xanax, Roxicontin and other painkillers.

"While Camp's use of these drugs was not limited to weekends, he denies that he used any of these drug contemporaneously with any court business, and we are currently unaware of any demonstrable evidence to the contrary," Yates said. "We have not discovered evidence of illegal drug use prior to May 2010."

Yates said the second area of the Justice Department inquiry involves allegations by the witness that Camp showed racial biases that spilled over into court, an accusation Camp denied when confronted.

The witness alleged that Camp told her that he disliked an African-American man who had a relationship with her, Yates said.

"Camp told her that when African-American men appeared before him, he had a difficult time adjudicating their cases and specifically determining their sentences" because he could not differentiate them from the man he disliked, Yates said.

The cooperating witness also told authorities that Camp sentenced a black male to 30 to 40 years because he had a personal relationship with a white woman, which reminded him of the relationship the African-American man had with the stripper.

Yates said her office was looking into a case that fit that description. She said Camp had only presided over only one criminal case since May, but her office would not object to defendants' requests for resentencing if they were sentenced during that time or if they believed they had been subjected to racial bias.

In another instance, Yates said, the government witness alleged that Camp told her he gave a woman a 12-month sentence instead of the suggested 60 months because the defendant reminded him of her.

Yates said there is evidence that Camp consulted with the witness regarding sentences he imposed.

"Our inquiry into this matter is ongoing, and if we identify additional information that should be disclosed, we will provide that information," Yates said. "We take very seriously a defendant's and the public's right to a fair, impartial and unimpaired jurist to administer justice."

Camp's attorney said in a statement that the former judge "will defend any decision he has rendered where a defendant may assert any sort of impairment or bias."

"While Mr. Camp understands the government must take appropriate steps to ensure our judicial system is free of bias, none occurred in Judge Camp's courtroom," the statement said. "Mr. Camp is taking responsibility for his actions, and continues to cooperate with authorities with regard to the wrongful nature of his behavior."