A 13th Judicial District circuit court judge has been suspended for 30 days after sending inappropriate social media messages to multiple women starting in 2015.
An investigation by the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct revealed Judge Jonathan Lee Young sent messages to a legal professional and a plaintiff that conducted business in his court. Majority of the communications depicted Young in his judicial robe.
The board concluded the conversations broke multiple ethical standards and undermined Young’s integrity and public trust as a judge. According to the report, Young took full responsibility for his actions.
Young will also be required to complete a judicial ethics program at his own expense and can not have a profile picture of himself in his judicial robe on any social media platform.
There is at least one example of a party using the messages for strategic advantage in a case, thus affecting the judicial process. The message content ranges from flirtatious to overtly sexual. Young was forced to remove himself from the case.
Young fully cooperated with the Disciplinary Counsel and has no previous record of discipline as a judge. The sanctions imposed were some of the most severe short of total removal from office.
Judges may use social media but can not participate in any conduct that can interfere with their work. The 13th district includes Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, and White counties.
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