A newly appointed judge in Oklahoma faces potential termination due to her excessive text messaging during a murder trial. She sent over 500 texts to her bailiff, which included derogatory comments about the prosecutor, compliments about the defense attorney, and labeling a crucial witness as dishonest.
In a court filing on Tuesday, the chief justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court suggested the removal of Lincoln County District Judge Traci Soderstrom, based on the findings of an investigation conducted by the state’s Council on Judicial Complaints.
Soderstrom has been under scrutiny since July after she was caught on camera scrolling through social media and texting during the trial of a man accused in the fatal beating of a 2-year-old.
After winning the election in November, Soderstrom was sworn in on Jan. 9. However, she has been temporarily suspended from her duties with pay while the Court on the Judiciary conducts a hearing to decide whether she should be removed from her position.
Chief Justice John Kane IV stated that the repetitive behavior exhibited by Respondent (Soderstrom) clearly showcases their severe negligence towards their duties, extreme bias, and oppressive nature. Additionally, this behavior serves as evidence of Respondent’s unsuitable temperament for the role of a judge.
On Wednesday, a phone call to a listed number for Soderstrom went unanswered and eventually disconnected.
Her attorney told The Oklahoman newspaper that the judge “takes these allegations very seriously” and is requesting “the entire record from the Council on Judicial Complaints so that she can respond appropriately.”
During the trial in Chandler, approximately 45 miles northeast of Oklahoma City, The Oklahoman released a security video revealing Soderstrom engaging in lengthy texting or messaging sessions. This behavior occurred during critical moments such as jury selection, opening statements, and testimony.
According to Kane’s petition, the judge’s messages stated that the prosecutor was excessively perspiring in his coat while questioning potential jurors and questioned why he had small hands. The texts also described the defense attorney as exceptional and expressed a desire to applaud for her during the opening arguments.
According to Kane’s account, Soderstrom sent a laughing emoji to the bailiff after they had made a disrespectful and offensive comment about the prosecuting attorneys’ private parts.
Khristian Tyler Martzall, the man who stood trial while the judge was preoccupied with her phone, ultimately faced conviction for second-degree manslaughter in the tragic 2018 passing of Braxton Danker, the son of Martzall’s girlfriend. As a punishment, Martzall was sentenced to the duration he had already served in custody.
Judith Danker, the girlfriend of Martzall and the mother of the child, pleaded guilty to being complicit in child abuse. As a crucial prosecution witness, she received a 25-year sentence, despite being accused of dishonesty by Soderstrom during her testimony.
According to the filing from Kane, Soderstrom texted that the state was unwilling to believe that a mother could be responsible for killing her own child, so they targeted the nearest available person instead.
Soderstrom’s messages additionally contained remarks inquiring about a juror’s wig, the dental condition of a witness, and admiringly referring to a testifying police officer as “pretty,” expressing a desire to gaze upon them endlessly.
During the inquiry by the Council on Judicial Complaints, Soderstrom acknowledged that she should have prioritized her texting and admitted that the comments should never have been uttered. She attributed her actions to a momentary lapse in judgement, where she found the remarks amusing and simply brushed them off.
Additionally, in Kane’s petition, it was stated that Soderstrom had previously expressed criticism towards other attorneys and prosecutors, as well as having berated a member of the courthouse staff.
Kane wrote that Soderstrom should be removed due to various reasons, such as gross neglect of duty, exhibiting extreme partiality in office, and engaging in oppressive behavior while holding the position.
In January 2027, the judge’s tenure of four years will come to a close.
While campaigning to be a judge, her website stated: “Compassion is at the forefront of Traci’s work with the clients of her legal practice because she understands it’s sometimes what they need most.”
- In:
- Oklahoma
