(RestoreAmericanGlory.com) – A judge from Lincoln County District in Oklahoma is being investigated after security footage from the courtroom shows her being on her phone during a trial about a man who had been accused of beating a 2-year-old to death.
The footage shows that the judge spent many hours throughout the seven-day murder trial looking through her phone, according to a report from the Associated Press. The judge in question, Judge Traci Soderstrom, had only been elected as a state judge in November and was tasked with overseeing this brutal murder case.
The case revolves around Khristian Tyler Martzall, 32, who was accused of beating Braxton Danker, his then-girlfriend’s two-year-old son, to death.
The Oklahoman was the first outlet to publish a report on the conduct of the judge during the trial. The local paper noted that this was the first case that Soderstrom was going to be hearing and that at the start of the trial, in alignment with courtroom protocol, she had called for all electronic devices to be turned off. This is done so that the jury and others in the room can give their full attention without any interruptions.
However, after the request for all electronic devices to be turned off, Soderstrom went ahead and started checking her phone. The ceiling security camera that is situated right above the bench was able to capture this behavior. Throughout the trial, Soderstrom could be seen frequently checking her phone while the witnesses were providing their testimony, during the opening statements, and even while jury selection was taking place.
The judge even checked her phone while Judith Danker, the victim’s mother, was providing an emotional testimony about her son. While on her phone, the judge would check Facebook, search for the right GOF to send, and have other such preoccupations.
District Attorney Adam Panter, upon reviewing the footage, stated that the judge had spent many hours on her phone, either going through social media or texting. He pointed out that this was disappointing,” especially as jurors are blocked from having access to or using their phones during the trial.
WATCH:
At the trial's start, Lincoln County District Judge Traci Soderstrom told the jury to power off or place in airplane mode all electronic devices.
She then got on her own cellphone over and over again.
Get the full story: https://t.co/vblkBmR0YK pic.twitter.com/H0f5U9Py7b— The Oklahoman (@TheOklahoman_) July 20, 2023
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