Former Oklahoma County district judge faces discipline over sex scandal
The Oklahoma Supreme Court is being asked to discipline former Oklahoma County District Judge Tim Henderson over his secretive sexual relationships with two prosecutors.
Henderson abruptly resigned from the bench after being accused of sexual misconduct in March 2021 but remains an attorney.
Justices could disbar him, suspend him for a time from practicing law or just reprimand him. Any decision on his law license is months away.
The Oklahoma Bar Association told justices his actions "brought great discredit upon the legal profession."
At least five women came forward and made accusations during an investigation. Two were the prosecutors. Both had been assigned to his courtroom at the time of the relationships. Both are no longer at the Oklahoma County Courthouse.
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Henderson, 64, denied sexually assaulting anyone, and a special prosecutor decided last year not to file charges. He had been a judge since 2012 and was widely respected.
The request for discipline was made public Thursday. Henderson admitted in a response that "his conduct has been prejudicial to the administration of justice."
His attorney, Tracy Schumacher, wrote in the response that Henderson "understands his conduct warrants discipline."
However, she also noted that the Supreme Court has said its responsibility "is not to punish but rather to inquire into and to gauge a lawyer's continued fitness to practice law, with a purpose of safeguarding the interest of the public, of the courts, and of the legal profession."
"In the case of Tim Henderson, there has been a punishment — he resigned his position as judge of the District Court of Oklahoma County," she wrote.
Henderson is expected to push for a suspension of six months. He remains married and now lives in Owasso, his attorney said.
Criminal convictions have been thrown out due to the scandal
The Oklahoma Bar Association, which is made up of the state's lawyers, told justices about three criminal convictions that have been thrown out because of the sex scandal.
The latest came last month when the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals voted 3-2 to reverse a 2021 murder conviction.
Robert Leon Hashagen III has been serving a life sentence for the fatal beating of a 94-year-old Oklahoma City woman during a 2013 burglary. His retrial is set for February.
The Oklahoma Bar Association identified the prosecutors only by initials and told justices both allege the sexual contact was nonconsensual. Henderson claims the relationships were consensual.
One prosecutor said he unexpectedly began acting inappropriately toward her in 2020. "She was shocked and didn't know what to do," the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation reported in a request for a search warrant. "She didn't feel like she could tell anyone because of who he was."
She said the sexual abuse continued until March of 2021.
The other prosecutor alleged Henderson began sexually abusing her in April 2016. She alleged, "Henderson continued to sexually abuse me until July or August of 2018."
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Supreme Court asked to discipline former judge over sex scandal
