Cross County Judge Admits Light Sentences For Nude Photos, Sex Favors

WYNNE, AR — A former Cross County, Arkansas judge pleaded guilty Thursday to handing down light sentences to men guilty of minor crimes in exchange for nude photographs and sexual favors.

Joseph Boeckmann pleaded guilty to wire fraud and witness tampering and faces at least 2½ years in prison under the deal. U.S District Judge Kristine Baker doesn't have to go along with that sentence. Federal prosecutors said they would drop 19 other charges after Boeckmann's sentencing, which likely won't happen until next year.

Boeckmann spoke briefly during Thursday's hearing, answering "Yes, ma'am,"after four questions on whether he understood the deal and agreed to be bound by it. He later told the judge he was pleading guilty because he was guilty. (For more information on Boeckmann's case and other Across Arkansas stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

He and lawyer Jeff Rosenzweig declined comment outside court. Baker said Boeckmann could remain free pending sentencing, though he still must stay away from Wynne, where he held court in eastern Arkansas until last year.

The 71-year-old's raised right hand shook as he swore to answer questions truthfully. He carried a cane, though he didn't always use it.

As a district court judge in Cross County, 100 miles east of Little Rock, Boeckmann mainly handled lower-level offenses such as traffic tickets and misdemeanors. Dozens of men who had passed through his court accused the judge of misconduct dating to his time as a prosecutor decades ago. Some said they posed nude in exchange for money to pay their fines.

Attorney Peter Halpern of the U.S. Department of Justice told Baker that Boeckmann had arranged for a third party to threaten a man who had complained about the abuse to state investigators. Boeckmann admitted doing so Thursday.

According to Halpern, Boeckmann would typically offer men a sentence of "community service" in lieu of court fines and fees — picking up bottles and cans while Boeckmann took photographs. An investigation by The Associated Press into court and law enforcement records last year showed that of the 254 men Boeckmann sentenced to community service over a seven-year period in one of three districts he oversaw, just 13 of the cases included timesheets and court records showing completion of the sentences.

Prosecutors said the judge committed fraud by "corruptly using his official position as an Arkansas district judge to obtain personal services, sexual contact and the opportunity to view and to photograph in compromising positions" men who appeared before him in court, at times communicating across state lines. He later falsely said the defendants had satisfied their obligations.

The head of the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission, David Sachar, has called the allegations among the worst cases of judicial misconduct in state history. Sachar did not return telephone calls seeking comment.

By KELLY P. KISSEL , Associated Press

Photo credit: Pulaski County Sheriffs Office via AP