A former Arkansas Judge's unique method of doling out community service is likely to have him spending time in a federal prison. Joseph Boeckmann, 71, pleaded guilty today in US District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas to single counts of wire fraud and Witness Tampering. The original grand jury indictment listed 21 counts against Boeckmann, including bribery.
The indictment detailed a scheme in which Boeckmann, a former Arkansas district court judge, chose certain offenders, all teens and young men ranging in age from 16 to 20, and sentenced them to community service rather than paying a fine or spending time in jail.
He asked the offenders to stay after court to talk with him alone.
Judge asked young offenders to pose for nude photos while engaged in sex act or to be spanked
When the judge was alone with the offenders, he told them if they would perform the community service he designated, the charges against them would be dismissed. He gave them his personal telephone number and told them to call him. Once they called, he gave them the instructions for their community service, which started innocently enough with the judge instructing the offenders to pick up trash and aluminum cans and bring what they collected to his home.
Accounts from the young offenders whose stories were outlined in the grand jury indictment of what happened when they arrived at Boeckmann's home differed, but none of them were consistent with what would pass the legal definition of community service.
A victim referred to as "D" in the indictment told investigators his choices to complete his community service included posing naked while masturbating for Boeckmann or having his bare bottom paddled. Victim "I" was offered the same options, while others performed personal service of a non-sexual nature for the judge, with most of them posing for photos.
Except for the initial trash collection, none of those named in the indictment performed what would normally be considered community service. Boeckmann also tried to convince an employee to delete photos on his computer and attempted to keep the offenders and the employee from testifying against him.
Judicial Commission investigation uncovered judge's community service arrangements
Boeckmann's community service arrangements were uncovered after the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission of the State of Arkansas received a tip and began an investigation. When it began to uncover numerous cases of the judge ordering the unusual community service, he was removed from the bench and the information was turned over to the federal government for prosecution.
Boeckmann, who has been under house detention since his arrest, will remain there until his sentencing.
